A 56-year-old software engineer lost Rs85 lakh after falling prey to drugs-in-parcel scam. This is one of the biggest amounts extorted by fake cops in recent times.
According to the police, the techie, a Thane resident, got a call from a person on August 7, who claimed to be a policeman from the Vasant Kunj Police Station in south Delhi. The caller said that the Customs has intercepted his parcel, destined to Singapore, which contained 140 grams of drugs, 16 passports and 58 ATM cards.
The fake cop then shared a bogus court order with the man, saying that a warrant had been issued to arrest him and seize his property. The scammer said that they have busted a human trafficking racket in which the complainant's name has also emerged, said police, adding that they threatened him with arrest.
The con then instructed the terrified man to transfer the deposits, which were to the tune of Rs 90 lakh, to a “government account”, assuring him that the money will be refunded in 48 hours if investigators give him a clean chit. After transferring Rs 85 lakh, the techie narrated his ordeal to his family, who made him sense the fraud.
