BENGALURU: A well-known doctor from the west division of Bengaluru has reportedly lost Rs 30 lakh to unknown persons. The 45-year-old doctor was contacted via his personal e-mail and was informed that he had won a lottery while staying abroad in the UK. The e-mail also showed original-like certificates from RBI with a stamp.
“The doctor was asked to send money regarding getting permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Customs Department, Income Tax Department, anti-terrorism certificate and other processing charges. This went on for over a year. The final one they asked was conversion charges of currencies. This is a common tactic used by black hats,” says the city’s cyber crime inspector Y N Yeshvanth.
According to the complainant, about `30 lakh was sent to the conmen in a period of one year. The doctor is said to have pledged some gold and even went to the extent of borrowing money from his friends to pay off the conmen.
The complaint was lodged last week at the cyber station. Interestingly, the doctor is also known to educate the public on fraudulent activities through social media and was surprised to find conned by unknown persons.The case is under investigation.
Tips from the cyber station
Do not believe online messages requesting money and stating a prize award
Do not pick calls persons stating they are bank employees, officials or managers asking for your bank details. Raise your query in person at the bank