Mumbai: Malabar Hill family loses 51 kg snacks, Rs 23,000 to fake couriers

The fraudster identified himself as an employee of one Arctic International Cargo Courier Company. Representation pic

A diamond merchant from Malabar Hill lost over Rs 23,000 and 51 kg of eatables after they dialled a popular local search company seeking numbers of a few international courier services.

In his police complaint, Ashish Gandhi said one of his brothers lives in Bangkok and another in the US. "My mother had cooked some special snack and we wanted to send it to my brothers," reads Gandhi's complaint.

The police said Gandhi's family called the local search company for details of couriers that cater to foreign destinations. Soon, a person got in touch with Gandhi's wife identifying himself as an employee of Arctic International Cargo Courier Company.

"The person said he would charge Rs 390 to deliver a kilo of the snack to Bangkok and Rs 500 per kg for the US," Gandhi said in his complaint. His family wanted to send 20 kg of eatables to Thailand and 31 kilos to America.

Gandhi told the police that they didn't suspect anything abnormal as the person sounded like a professional. He shared what he claimed was his visiting card, showing the name as Vikrant Singh, on WhatsApp.

"He [a courier boy] came to our home and picked both the parcels and took Rs 23,300 cash as courier charges. He gave a parcel tracking number, conveying that both the parcels would reach their destination by February 9," said Gandhi.

The family realised they had been duped after the food items did not reach Gandhi's brothers. They then filed a complaint.

Suryakant Bangar, senior inspector of Malabar Hill police station, said they have registered a case of cheating under the Indian Penal Code and added charges under the Information Technology Act.