State Govt employee duped of Rs 7.55 lacs by fraudulent callers

 

Online frauds have become a big menace in India . Another incident has happened to a state government employee in Howrah , West Bengal . 

An unfamiliar phone number appeared on the screen. Upon answering, a deep, authoritative voice on the other end said, "Hello, this is the Mumbai Crime Branch." The statement was enough to create unease, but for a government employee from Dasnagar, Howrah, the real shock was yet to come. The caller, posing as an officer from the Mumbai Crime Branch, informed him that an arrest warrant had been issued against him in connection with a fraud case, leading to a scam where he was cheated out of 7 lakh rupees.

The victim, Sumanta Kumar Biswas, a resident of Kona Mandal Para in Dasnagar, Howrah, received the call on August 31 from an unknown number. As a state government employee, Sumanta Biswas was startled to hear that the caller claimed to be from the Mumbai Crime Branch. The caller alleged that an arrest warrant had been issued against him for his involvement in a 2-crore-rupee fraud case. They further stated that an investigation was ongoing, accusing him of laundering money abroad. According to the scammer, 2 crore rupees had been deposited into an account in his name using his Aadhaar card, which was linked to his photograph. To add credibility, they sent him a copy of his Aadhaar card along with several fabricated bank details, messages, and even a fake arrest warrant from the Mumbai Crime Branch. Also the caller send a crime branch  police ID card to orove his "credentials".  This left Sumanta Biswas  in a state of panic.

Following the scammers' directions, Sumanta Biswas transferred a total of 7.55 lakh rupees to their account via mobile banking in multiple installments. However, when they continued to demand more money, he became suspicious. He reached out to his lawyer, who then started interrogating the callers. Realizing that they were being questioned, the scammers immediately cut off communication and disconnected their phones. It was at that point Mr Biswas realized he had fallen victim to a scam.

On September 3, Mr Biswas  filed a formal complaint with the Dasnagar police station. The police acted swiftly, and the cybercrime branch of Howrah City Police launched an investigation. The case was reported on the NCRP portal, and as a result, the police were able to recover 6.11 lakh rupees. On Friday, the recovered funds were returned to Sumanta through the Howrah Court.

Although the return of most of the stolen money brought some relief, Sumanta Biswas  has vowed to be far more vigilant in the future.