Be aware that fraudsters sound very convincing

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A person impersonating a Mumbai police Cyber Crime cell officer defrauded a software engineer from Ahmedabad of Rs 19.14 lakh. The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime police initiated an investigation after the accused falsely implicated the victim in a case involving weapons, drugs and money laundering.

Pretending to connect her with the Mumbai police Cyber Cell, the imposter gained access to her documents and secured an immediate loan of Rs 19 lakh, transferring the funds to various accounts.

A look at the FIR reveals the modus operandi. The complainant, received a call from an unknown number on December 22, where the caller accused her of sending a suspicious parcel from Mumbai to Iran which included drugs. The accused insisted that a complaint had been lodged with the ‘Narcotic Department'. To resolve the situation, he claimed she needed a no-objection certificate from the Mumbai Cyber Cell department. A pattern followed in which threats of action escalated and the target divulged details like Aadhaar card, OTP, etc. There are messages warning that this scam is going around with people being called and told that suspicious packages are being found in their name.

Please heed red flags. How can a parcel be sent in your name if you have not sent one? Who has lodged this complaint with this so-called Narcotic Department? Ask these questions to yourself or to the caller. Criminals operate most successfully when you get into a blind panic. Checkmate your caller my counter questioning like where this complaint was filed and if somebody could forward a copy of the complaint. Be aware that the Mumbai cyber cell department also does not forward any no objection certificate. Why would any cyber cell work in this way. Background searching, healthy scepticism and counter questioning will help you evade these traps.