CHENNAI: PEOPLE getting conned by fraudsters is nothing new, and the latest racket Chennaiites are falling prey to is being called the ‘gift scam.’ Fraudsters befriend victims on social media, claiming to be doctors or entrepreneurs working abroad. They then tell the victims that they have sent them expensive gifts and swindle money under the guise of customs duty.
In the first week of July, a 20-year-old girl from Secretariat Colony in Chennai died by suicide after she was blackmailed by a conman who told her that she would be arrested if she failed to pay Rs 50,000 to ‘customs department.’ Although she paid the sum, the fraudster, who said he was in love with her, kept pestering her to pay more money and, ultimately, forced her to take the extreme step. The accused, a West African, was arrested a week later in Delhi by the Chennai cyber crime police.
Explaining the scam, a senior cyber crime officer said, “Once contact is established between the fraudster and the victim, they continue talking and exchanging information. The scamster gets more personal information about the victim and sometimes promises marriage when the person comes to India.
After some time, the fraudster tells the victim that the latter has to pay customs duty for a valuable gift sent. Then a person claiming to be a customs official contacts the victim demanding a certain amount as a‘ clearance fee’ and ‘tax’ for the overseas gift. The person would also threaten the victim with arrest if the money is not paid as the gift has the latter’s name and address.”
In May, a man from Ayanavaram lost Rs 1.22 lakh to a scam operator. Based on his complaint, police arrested three persons from Haryana -- two Nigerian men and an Indian woman. The woman had posed as a doctor from London and conned the man.
“People who lose money to such scams, come to the police wanting to get the money back. However, it is not that simple. The account to which the amount has been sent can be frozen and traced. But, the money cannot be retrieved in all cases,” the officer said.
In April, two Nigerians were sentenced to five years in jail and slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 each for swindling a Chennai woman of Rs 4.5 lakh. They were arrested in New Delhi. One of them had claimed to be a doctor in The Netherlands and got in touch with the woman through a matrimonial website.