Mumbai: A Kandivali family lost Rs1.95 lakh in just a few hours to fake cops who scared them saying that one of the members had committed rape. They extorted money in lieu of not slapping sexual assault charges against the 'accused'. Although the fraud took place in January, the aggrieved recently approached the police as they initially desisted from doing so.
According to the Samta Nagar police, the complainant, a 25-year-old woman, received a call on January 6. Claiming to be a cop, the caller asked her to hand over the phone to her father and then informed that his son has committed rape. To intimidate the aggrieved, the con even played a purported audio clip wherein the complainant's brother was heard crying.
The dismayed father handed over the phone to her daughter. The 'cop' warned her against contacting her brother, saying that his phone was seized and he was taken to the police station.
The fraudster then demanded Rs 95,000 to 'clear' his name from the case. Under pressure, the family transferred Rs 95,000 in five transactions to a Paytm number.
However, the 'cop' called them again, claiming that her brother's police report was ready and demanded an additional Rs 50,000. This time, he sought the money in a bank account. The complainant transferred the amount in two transactions.
When she expressed her inability to pay more and insisted on speaking with her brother, the fraudster exacted Rs 50,000 more on the pretext that the rape victim demanded money.
The family got suspicious as the fraudsters evaded providing the address of the police station where the 'accused' was lodged. The complainant then sought a relative's help, who spoke to the fraudster as well as the man impersonating the 'accused'. The kin identified that the audio clip was not authentic.
A case has been filed against unidentified persons under the Indian Penal Code sections 34 (common intention), 419 (cheating), 420 (cheating and dishonesty) and the Information Technology Act.
