Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Dec 4: Prakash R Shetty from Kallamundkoor village near Kinnigoly lost about Rs 4.75 lac, after falling to the lure of claiming Rs 25 lac he supposedly won in a lottery scheme.

A few months back, Shetty received a call from a person who introduced himself as Sandeep Patil. The caller informed Shetty that the latter had won a lottery amounting to Rs 25 lac, adding that some taxes were to be paid before this sum could be claimed. Thereafter, it is learnt, Shetty kept remitting money as demanded to seven different account numbers mentioned by the caller through a nationalized bank at Kinnigoli.

It finally dawned upon Shetty, who also remitted some money on December 2, that he would have become the victim of a fraud. He totaled up the amount so far remitted, and found that Rs 4.75 lac had been siphoned off from his account. Thereafter, he approached Mulky police station and filed a complaint.

He also found through the bank that the accounts of the stranger to whom money was transferred on different occasions were maintained in Jharkhand. He provided to the police account numbers, telephone numbers of the caller, fact that amount were being withdrawn immediately after they were deposited into account, and some other details. It is gathered that in his complaint, Shetty has expressed suspicion about the role of some labourers working in Kallamundkoor area in this fraud.

Even after Shetty lodged police complaint, he received two calls from Sandeep Patil to transfer money, it is gathered.