Cyber crime cases spiralling, Wayanad doctor loses Rs 5 lakh

Wayanad Police has warned the public against falling into traps laid by online fraudsters impersonating law enforcement agencies. The latest in a series of such cases saw a doctor in Meppadi lose Rs 5 lakh after the fraudsters impersonated CBI officials.

According to the police, the fraudsters informed the doctor over the phone that Singapore Customs had seized fake SIM cards, highly potent drug MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), and fake passports from a parcel he sent. They made a video call to the doctor and appeared in uniform to convince him.

They claimed he had accepted Rs 138 crore from an organ trade mafia. The doctor was asked to pay Rs 5 lakh to legalise in defunct bank account. After wiring the money, the doctor had his doubts and contacted the cyber police. The investigation is ongoing.

District Superintendent of Police T Narayanan said online fraudsters are popping up in varied forms and also with novel strategies to trap the wealthy and affluent in the district. “Many in the district have fallen in such traps with fraudsters surfacing with promises of huge profits in online trade, costly gifts, and high-paid overseas jobs and also with the promise of love and marriage. If anybody realizes that they were cheated by fraudsters, immediately inform the toll-free number 1930 or approach the nearest police station,” he said.

The cyber crime police station in Wayanad received as many as 644 complaints, of which 367 have been resolved, the police said.