KOCHI: Rakesh (name changed) receives a call from an anonymous person posing as a senior officer from a Central agency, and informing him that he is under a serious investigation. What follows is a video call interrogation culminating in a threat of virtual arrest. During these interactions, the caller demands that Rakesh pay a penalty to have the charges dropped and avoid further legal procedures.
Terrified, he transfers the requested amount to a bank account provided by the scammer, often under names like Thankappan, Sameer, or Raghav Gupta. Despite feeling suspicious, Rakesh sends the money to this private account instead of an official one and feels happy that he has escaped from the charges. Only after completing the transaction does he realise that he has fallen victim to cyber fraud.
A similar incident occurred two days ago in Kochi, involving renowned Malayalam music composer Jerry Amaldev. But, he narrowly escaped being defrauded of approximately Rs 3 lakh by scammers posing as Mumbai police officers. Here, the fraudsters had convinced him that he was implicated in a money laundering case linked to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal. However, due to the timely intervention of bank officials and the city police, the money transfer was prevented. In both incidents, the cyber fraudsters employed a typical modus operandi, similar to that used in courier scams, fake stock and trading schemes, foreign exchange frauds, and even smaller-scale cyber scams that have become common in recent times, said a senior police source.
“Recently, a Kochi-based owner of a software company lost D7 crore in a foreign exchange scam. Despite being highly educated and technologically savvy, he still fell into the cyber trap,” said the officer. In another case, a woman who had worked as an ayurveda doctor in England and is now settled in Kochi also became a victim of cyber fraud. She transferred a significant amount of money to an account under the name Gupta, believing she was dealing with a Central investigative agency officer, he said. If even well-educated people can easily fall into cyber traps, it raises serious concerns about how vulnerable the general public is to these scams, he added.
Commenting on the rise in cyber fraud incidents, Kochi-based cyber expert Nandakishore Harikumar said, “These frauds are happening due to fear and an excessive willingness to believe things without further reasoning. Even people who have good connections with the police become frightened when they receive a call from someone posing as a police officer. Fraudsters are exploiting this fear and lack of alertness to carry out cyber crimes.”
“The majority of cyber frauds occur when people opt for a quick settlement instead of seeking help from legal or police experts,” said Nandakishore. It is a psychological pattern, similar to what happens during a road accident, where most people prefer an on-the-spot financial settlement rather than going to the police station, he added.
Addressing the increasing number of cyber fraud cases reported in the city, Kochi city police commissioner S Syamsundar said, “It reminds me of the saying, ‘common sense is uncommon’. No government agency or institution will ever ask someone to transfer money to a private account. When that happens, it’s the first and most important red flag.” He emphasised that the police were always working to safeguard the public’s life and assets.
Police chief’s important messages for the public
Never invest in schemes that promise extraordinary returns
Government agencies or institutions will never ask you to transfer money to a private account
Virtual arrests do not exist stay alert
If you have any doubts about cyber fraud, contact your local police or call 112
If you’ve been a victim of cyber fraud, report it immediately by calling the toll-free number 1930. Reporting within the first two hours (the golden hour) can help recover the full amount
Number of online cyber fraud cases in Kochi city (2023) 96 cases
(till August 31, 2024) 141 cases
The amount lost in cyber fraud cases (2023) C21.70 cr
C85.62 cr