MARGAO
Beware! If you receive a call from an unknown person pretending to be a police officer or an official from a financial institution asking you to transfer money or share an OTP in exchange for high returns on investments, do not transfer any money or provide the OTP.
For, you may join the long list of victims of increased number of cybercrimes as the South Goa police on Friday registered as many as 15 cases of cyber fraud.
Police stations across South Goa, right from Ponda to Canacona, Curchorem, Colva and Vasco and others have registered cybercrime offenses based on the complaints received from the victims.
Take the case registered by the Sanguem police. On January 14, one Shankar Gaonkar said he received a WhatsApp call from unknown persons impersonating as Mumbai police officers and instilled fear that he is involved in several money laundering cases for which he will be put behind bars and further induced the complainant to transfer Rs 90,000 into the fraudster’s bank account.
Similarly, a woman from Chinchinim was cheated of Rs 1.73 lakh after the accused impersonated as a manager of a Digital Marketing Company and induced her to join the telegram group and invest money promising high returns. When the complainant tried to withdraw the money invested, the accused failed to return the amount.
Another woman from Canacona also fell prey to the machinations after the accused impersonating as Delhi telecom department induced the complainant to pay Rs 2.5 lakh by threatening her with arrest in money laundering activities.
A woman from Colva fell victim to impersonators when she transferred Rs 4.41 lakh. In this case, the accused, Vikas Prasad, impersonated a Police Inspector from the Delhi Crime Branch during a video call. He falsely claimed to have evidence implicating the woman in drug trafficking, using this threat to induce her to transfer Rs 4,41,706 under the fear of severe consequences.
A lady from Maina-Curtorim was duped to the tune of Rs 40,391 after an unknown accused called her from a cellular number and introduced himself as a staff of a leading private bank and induced her to share OTP in order to activate her Credit card number.
She was duped of the amount after she shared the OTP.
