Sikkim resident loses Rs 21.88 lakh in online scam

A resident of 6th Mile Tadong has reportedly lost Rs 21.88 lakh in a cybercrime involving fraudulent transactions from her accounts at ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, and Federal Bank. The incident came to light after the victim, a woman from Gangtok, filed a complaint with the Ranipool Police Station.

According to the FIR, the scam began on June 13, when the victim received a call from an unknown number (9356056889) claiming to be from FedEx courier. The caller alleged that a parcel containing expired passports, credit cards, clothes, and LSD drugs was being sent to Iran under her name. Following her denial of involvement, the call was transferred to individuals posing as Mumbai Police and Narcotics Control Bureau officials, who contacted her via Skype.

The impersonators, identifying themselves as Pradeep Sawant and others from the Mumbai Police Department, convinced her to share her bank account details and transfer funds to an RBI account for "verification purposes." They used authentic-looking IDs and references to official websites to gain her trust. She complied, resulting in four separate transactions amounting to Rs 21,88,000.

Realizing later that she had been duped, the victim reported the fraud to the police on June 15, 2024. The case has been registered under Section 420 of the IPC and Section 66D of the IT Act. Investigators have requested bank transaction details and KYC documents to probe the matter further.

Reacting to the incident, the courier service said, " FedEx does not request personal information through unsolicited phone calls, mail, or email for goods being shipped or held, unless requested or initiated by customers. If any individual receives any suspicious phone calls or messages, they are advised not to provide their personal information. Instead, they should immediately contact the local law enforcement authorities within the vicinity or report to the cybercrime department of the government of India.