Mumbai Police foil FedEx scam, victim retrieves entire amount

The victim was coerced into transferring a large amount from his account. Representation Pic

A man who fell victim to the FedEx courier scam lost Rs 6.5 lakh, but with timely assistance from Mumbai Police, he managed to retrieve the entire amount without registering an FIR. The victim received a call from a person claiming to be a customs officer, who informed him that a parcel addressed to him from Vietnam contained drugs. The call was later transferred to various other individuals claiming to be officers from agencies like the CBI, who threatened to arrest the victim.

The victim was coerced into transferring 75 per cent of the amount from his account to the fraudster's account, with the promise of reimbursement once the case was resolved. The fraudsters sent multiple notices and letters purportedly from the CBI and other agencies, even displaying images of officials from the Mumbai cyber and crime branch to convince the victim. When the fraudsters demanded more money, the victim became suspicious and reported the incident to the Bangur Nagar police station.

Under the guidance of DCP Anand Bhoite, ACP Renuka Bagde, senior inspector Pramod Tavde, API Vivek Tambe, and Rahul Bhadarge, an investigation was initiated. The priority was to halt the transactions and freeze the fraudster's bank account. Upon receiving the transaction ID from the victim, the police promptly contacted the bank, leading to the freezing of the account. The victim was advised to seek court permission for the release of the frozen amount.

Upon receiving the transaction ID from the victim, the police promptly contacted the bank, leading to the freezing of the account. The victim was advised to seek court permission for the release of the frozen amount. On March 18, the victim obtained court permission, and the amount was credited back to his account. The frozen account was found to have been used for fraudulent transactions, with Rs 3 lakh and Rs 99,000 being fraudulently credited from Bangalore.

"The victims who sought court permission promptly have managed to recover their money in full. However, in many cases, where the victim has approached the court later than ideal, only a partial recovery was possible," said a police officer.

FedEx issued a statement in regards with the case; it read, "FedEx does not request personal information through unsolicited phone calls, mail, or email for goods being shipped or held, unless requested or initiated by customers. If any individual receives any suspicious phone calls or messages, they are advised not to provide their personal information. Instead, they should immediately contact the local law enforcement authorities within the vicinity or report to the cybercrime department of the government of India."

Rs 6.5 Lakhs
Amount of money retrieved