Cybercrime: Scammers Dupes Muzaffarpur Businessman Of Rs 89.90 Lakh; Know How To Be Safe

New Delhi: Cyber fraudsters defrauded a Muzaffarpur businessman of Rs 89.90 lakh by alleging his involvement in a money laundering case, an official reported on Saturday. The victim has lodged an FIR at the Muzaffarpur cyber police station, and the Bihar Police's cyber cell is currently investigating the matter.

According to the FIR, the victim received a call from an unknown number. The caller, posing as a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) official, claimed that the victim’s phone number would be disconnected within two hours. The caller further informed the victim that another mobile number (8945392862) was active under his Aadhaar documentation and had been used to send illegal messages. 

He stated that an FIR had been registered in Tilak Nagar Police Station in Mumbai and the victim had to appear before the officers. The caller transferred the victim's call to another number (+91 7453951616) and a person wearing a police uniform interacted with him via a video call.

“That man in the police uniform claimed to be an officer of the Tilak Nagar Police Station and he took the victim's statement. “He also informed him that a bank account had been opened in Canara Bank using his Aadhaar number and that account was used in the money laundering case of one Naresh Goyal with illegal transactions to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore,” said Seema Devi, DSP of cyber cell Muzaffarpur.

“He further informed the victim that an arrest warrant had been issued by the Supreme Court and asked him to appear at the Tilak Nagar Police Station. When the victim expressed his inability to reach Mumbai on such a short notice, the caller asked him to upload the details of the source of his earnings on the website of the Supreme Court. That caller also gave him a link http://www.main-scoi.in/,” the officer said.

“When the victim opened the link, an arrest warrant was shown in his name. Hence, he uploaded his bank details on that website. Soon after, the cyber conmen withdrew Rs 89.90 lakh from his account. The victim lodged an FIR on July 24 and we are investigating the matter,” she said.

The DSP did not reveal the name of the victim and said that four other FIRs had been registered in Muzaffarpur where fraudsters had used the same modus operandi to dupe people.

Here's How To Be Safe from Cyber Scams

If you want to avoid cyber scams, then you have to use strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, avoid suspicious links, keep software updated, and be cautious with personal information. It is important to note that TRAI doesn't make such calls. (With Inputs From IANS)