Representative image for fraud.
Credit: iStock Photo
Bengaluru: Cyber fraudsters posing as police officers swindled a retiree out of Rs 9.14 crore over a fortnight after claiming that a ‘FedEx’ courier package in his name contained illegal items like drugs and that he was involved in laundering money. The unknown suspects, notoriously known as ‘FedEx scammers’, allegedly held the terrified victim under duress via WhatsApp and Skype from November 14 to November 28.
Around 2.30 pm on Nov 14, 61-year-old Dayanand Joshi (name changed and other details withheld to protect identity), a Bengaluru resident who retired as the deputy general manager of a Japanese multinational firm, received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number, according to the police. The caller identified himself as the support staff of FedEx courier’s Mumbai branch, Joshi told the police.
The unidentified caller told Joshi that a package in his name to Taiwan was intercepted in Mumbai as it contained illegal items like drugs. Despite Joshi pleading innocence, the “FedEx staffer” said the call would be transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch.
The second caller, a purported Crime Branch officer, allegedly interrogated Joshi and sought his details.
The following day, Joshi received another call on WhatsApp. This time, it was from a “Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP)-rank officer from Mumbai”, the victim told the police.
The impersonator told Joshi that some of his bank accounts were used for money laundering and sought his bank details and account balance for verification.
A scared Joshi did the scammer’s bidding. He was then connected over Skype to “record his statement” and was asked to transfer the sum from all his bank accounts and other holdings to a “stipulated account” for verification. All three callers spoke to Joshi in English.
“Over 15 days, Joshi transferred money to at least 25 bank accounts,” a well-placed source told DH.
The source said that Joshi transferred his retirement savings amounting to Rs 4.82 crore and broke several fixed deposits (FDs) at the third caller’s behest. “He was under immense pressure and never told anyone. He was told that his bank accounts would be frozen and that he would be arrested.” By the time Joshi realised the fraud, he had transferred Rs 9,14,97,015. When DH contacted the victim, he refused to comment as he was not in a state to respond to the queries.
Rs 85 lakh frozen: Cops
A cybercrime investigator, on the condition of anonymity, told DH that of the Rs 9.14 crore, the police had managed to freeze Rs 85 lakh from the “mule bank accounts”.
“Since the lost sum is large, the city police, who registered the case on November 29 under the IT Act and the IPC, would write to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to take over the probe,” he said.
FedEx responds
In an emailed response to DH on Thursday, FedEx said it “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”.