BENGALURU: Cyber criminals have given the FedEx courier scam a new twist. Earlier, the accused would remain invisible and call up the victims and cheat them, posing as Mumbai cyber crime cops and CBI officials. They are now visiting potential victims in police uniforms.
A 25-year-old law practitioner Neethu (name changed) from Victoria Layout fell prey to fraud after two unidentified men in police uniform went to her house and asked her to go with them as she was wanted in a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act case registered in Mumbai.
The advocate refused to go as there was no policewoman with them. Within a few minutes after they left, Neethu received a call from unidentified men, saying that her FedEx parcel to Taiwan contained illegal substances, including MDMA drugs.
When she denied having sent any courier, the accused listed her details and threatened to arrest her after bringing women police officers. They accused her of working for an international drug peddler.
Fearing trouble, the advocate transferred around Rs 1.96 lakh to their bank accounts. Later, she filed a police complaint, detailing what had happened on Friday. Neethu is a resident of Palmgrove Road in Victoria Layout.
They go to her residence
While talking to Neethu, the duo had introduced themselves as Akash Kumar and Pradip Sawant. The fake policemen went to her residence between 5 pm and 5.30 pm.
After asking her for details, they said an NDPS case had been registered against her in Andheri East police station in Mumbai, and that the case had been transferred to Bengaluru police. When she refused to join
them, the two left, saying they would return with a policewoman. Within a few minutes, she started getting calls from the ‘cops’. They also made her get on a Skype call.
The men threatened her, saying her bank details had been found with another drug peddler. They made her transfer money, saying they had to check her bank accounts as the drug peddler had 36 different bank accounts, the advocate said in her complaint.
A case of impersonating a public servant (IPC 170) with other sections of the IPC and Information Technology Act were registered against the accused.
“We are checking CCTV camera footage to get clues about the fake policemen. People must be careful if anybody approaches them in the guise of policemen. In case of doubt, dial 112 for assistance,” said an officer who is part of the investigation.