Man Loses Rs 13 Lakh To Fraudsters Impersonating IAS Officer

Mumbai: An electrical contractor has lodged a police complaint claiming that he was duped by a fraudster to the tune of Rs13 lakh by impersonating the MD of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd (MSEDCL), IAS Lokesh Chandra.

The fraudster told the victim that he needed money for medical treatment of his relative and induced him to transfer the money online. According to the police, the victim is a resident of Dhule and his firm undertakes contracts for MSEDCL.

On September 13, he received a phone call from a man stating that the MD of MSEDCL had asked for the contact number of a contractor. He told the victim that he had given his name and number to the MD.

After some time, the victim received a phone call from an unknown number. The caller identified himself as Chandra and said that his uncle was hospitalised and he was in urgent need of money. The caller then sought Rs8 lakh.

The victim transferred the money in the bank account provided by the caller. After some time, the victim again received a call from the same person who asked the victim to transfer Rs5 lakh in the same account. The victim again transferred the money. Later, the victim realised that he had been duped and approached the police.