Pune Woman Scammed Out Of Rs 20 Lakh In ‘Drugs In Parcel’ Fraud
Drugs In Parcel Fraud: Elderly Pune Man Loses Rs 1.27 Crore in Online Scam
A 40-year-old Pune woman fell victim to a cyber scam where fraudsters, posing as Mumbai police officers, threatened her with a 20-year jail term. The scammers claimed LSD strips were found in a parcel sent by her to Iran. Exploiting her fear, they took out an instant loan of Rs 20 lakh in her name and quickly siphoned off the funds.
The victim, who works for a talent acquisition firm, lodged an FIR at Warje Malwadi police station. The scam began in early July when she received a call from someone pretending to be a courier company executive. She was informed that her Aadhaar card had been used to send a parcel to Iran, which was seized for containing expired passports, credit cards, and LSD strips. The caller instructed her to contact the Andheri police in Mumbai.
During a video call, a man pretending to be a Mumbai police officer told her she faced 20 years in prison and the seizure of her assets. She was coerced into sharing her bank details while holding her Aadhaar card in front of a camera. Shortly after, she received a message confirming a deposit of Rs 20 lakh into her account. The fake officer claimed the transfer was for verification purposes and asked her to move the money to another account.
Upon discovering that the Rs 20 lakh was an instant loan taken in her name, the victim approached Pune’s cyber crime police. Following a preliminary investigation, the case was transferred to the Warje Malwadi police station.
Modus Operandi
In ‘drugs in parcel’ scams, victims receive calls from fraudsters posing as international courier service executives. They claim drugs were found in parcels addressed to the victims and involve police to intimidate them. Using Skype, conmen impersonate law enforcement officials and IPS officers to coerce victims into transferring money for customs fees, legal charges, or to protect their bank accounts from hackers.
