Software Engineer Duped Of Rs 2.24 Crore By Cyber Fraudsters Posing As Customs Officials

A software engineer, aged 52, has been defrauded of Rs 2.24 crore by cybercriminals posing as officials from Delhi Customs and Narcotics Control Bureau, according to police reports on Thursday.

The development comes at a time after a 29-year-old woman lawyer from Bengaluru lost Rs 14.57 lakh to fraudsters, who coerced her into stripping during a Skype video conference.

The fraudsters used a similar modus operandi to trick Kumarasamy Sivakkumar from Jakkur. They contacted him between March 18 and March 27, claiming to be from the Customs Department. They informed him that an air parcel addressed to him, destined for Malaysia, was held at Delhi Airport for carrying 16 passports, 58 bank ATM cards, and 140 grams of Ecstasy tablets (also known as MDMA, a banned narcotic), as per police reports.

The call was allegedly transferred to the 'Narcotics Control Bureau', where an 'officer' instructed him to download Skype and get online. Later, the fraudsters told him that to resolve the case, he needed to transfer them money.

Sivakkumar stated to the police that he transferred Rs 2.24 crore in eight installments via Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and Immediate Payment Service (IMPS).

The victim became aware of the fraud on April 5 and then filed a complaint against the unidentified fraudsters at the Bengaluru North East Cyber Crime Police Station.

According to reports, since the beginning of the month, approximately 25 individuals have fallen victim to similar frauds, losing over Rs four crore within the jurisdiction of the North East Cyber Crime Police Station.