Vinod M Jain
A 52-year-old domestic worker from Whitefield allegedly lost ₹8 lakh to cyber fraudsters who lured her with the promise of free rice and a cash gift before convincing her to pay bogus GST charges to release the money.
According to a complaint registered at the Whitefield CEN Crime Police Station on August 1,the victim, identified as (Fathima Banu),was approached after a neighbour informed her that free rice was being distributed as part of Bakrid celebrations and shared a mobile number with her.
Police said the woman contacted the number on May 25 and spoke to an unidentified person, who, after learning about her financial hardships,claimed that his employer based in Dubai would provide her with free rice and transfer Rs.8 lakh to her bank account.
Later,another caller,claiming to be the Dubai-based employer,contacted her from a different mobile number and told her he was travelling from Bengaluru to Dubai and that the promised amount would be credited to her account within two days.
Subsequently,the victim allegedly received calls and text messages claiming that Rs.8 lakh had already been transferred and that she would receive a cheque through the post.
Soon after,another person,posing as a bank manager, informed her that the funds had reached the bank’s main branch but that she would have to pay GST and other processing charges before the amount could be released.
Police said yet another caller,claiming to be associated with the GST department,instructed the woman to visit a cyber café and complete the payment process.
Believing the claims,the victim pledged her gold jewellery with a gold loan company(Muthoot Finance),borrowed money from others and transferred a total of Rs.8 lakh in multiple instalments through PhonePe and by depositing cash at a cyber café in Whitefield.
The money was credited to an account allegedly provided by the fraudsters.
When the promised amount never materialised and the callers became unreachable,the woman realised she had been cheated and approached the police.
A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.
Police have launched an investigation to trace the accused and recover the defrauded amount.
Police have advised the public not to believe unsolicited offers of free gifts,charity,or large cash transfers from unknown persons.
Citizens have also been urged not to transfer money towards so-called GST,processing fees or clearance charges for receiving promised funds,as such demands are a common modus operandi adopted by cyber fraudsters.
