Pune: Wakad Police Investigate a New Wave of Cyber Fraud; Software Engineer Falls Victim to Elaborate Scheme of Parcel Scam

Pune: A 34-year-old woman, employed as a software engineer, has lodged a complaint (G. Reg. No. 91/24) at the Wakad Police Station after being ensnared in a sophisticated scam. The victim, along with her husband, who are both software engineers at a reputed IT company, were targeted in a deceitful plot involving a phoney parcel sent to Taiwan.

The ordeal began on January 19, when the woman received a call from an unknown number, claiming to be from FedEx Courier Company. The caller alleged that a parcel sent in her name to Taiwan had been seized by the Narcotics Department. Shockingly, the contents of the parcel included 2 kg of clothes, 8 fake passports, 5 ICCI credit cards, and 750 grams of MAMD (methamphetamine).

Denying any connection to the dubious package, the victim was coerced into confirming personal details such as her phone number and the last four digits of her Aadhaar card. The scammers then fabricated a police complaint and transferred the call to an individual posing as an officer from the Andheri police station. Under the guise of an investigation, the accused threatened the victim with severe consequences, including a two-year prison term, fines, and the freezing of her bank account.

As part of their ruse, the fraudsters compelled the victim to download the Skype application, claiming it was necessary to verify her bank account for the alleged narcotics case. Subsequently, a video call was initiated, during which the perpetrators extracted sensitive personal information and even coerced the victim into displaying her Aadhaar card.

Further exploiting the situation, the scammers directed the victim to log in to her bank account for a purported verification process. To substantiate their claims, they initiated a transaction, asking the victim to transfer one rupee and verify its completion. In an unexpected turn, an alarming amount of 19 lakhs, 4 thousand, and 101 rupees appeared in the victim’s bank account. The scammers insisted that this amount be promptly transferred to their designated beneficiary account.

Under the false pretence that the police had access to her bank account and were overseeing the transaction, the victim transferred the entire sum as instructed. Convinced that the parcel case was resolved, the fraudsters abruptly terminated the call, leaving the victim in the dark.

The following day, upon realising the gravity of the situation, the victim visited her bank, only to discover that the entire amount had been withdrawn as a personal loan. The Wakad Police are currently investigating this elaborate cyber fraud scheme and urge the public to exercise caution regarding calls regarding seized parcels, emphasising the need for heightened awareness to prevent falling victim to such scams.