Mumbai: In the light of Novel Coronavirus pandemic outbreak and the shortage of medicines and injections used for its treatment, a number of fake posts on social media have surfaced, offering medicines produced by major pharmaceutical companies and duping citizens. The Mumbai Cyber Police have shared an advisory, cautioning people of such cyber fraudsters and appealing them to report the matter if they come across any such posts.
Earlier this week, Mumbai Police's Cyber Police station received a complaint from a leading multinational pharmaceutical company, Cipla, stating that an unidentified man was posing as a distributor from the pharmaceutical company and asking people to pay money on several accounts to procure the medicines – Remdesivir and Tocilizumab. Police said that according to the orders issued by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare/Department of Pharmaceuticals, all India supply of Remdesivir and Tocilizumab to be only through authorized government and private hospitals. No individual, distributor or retail can sell these medicines to the public.
"Please beware of unscrupulous fraudsters (falsely claiming as Cipla authorized or a representative of the Cipla) offering supply basis advance online payments. We appeal to the citizens to not fall prey to any such fake social media posts or not click on any links received in the e-mail, text message or on any social media platform. Moreover, if one comes across any such posts, please report the matter to the nearest police station and alert them," said a senior Cyber official.
Police also said not to believe any advertisement selling Covid-related medicines and avoid contacting the phone numbers, emails written in the advertisement. "If you are approached for such a transaction, please do not transfer any funds and immediately notify your local police/cyber crime cell of such activity," the advisory read.
