Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (JD)
Udupi, Aug 13: In a shocking incident, Arun Kumar (53) of Udupi was defrauded of Rs 1,33,81,000 through an elaborate phone scam. The incident began on July 29, when he received a call from an unknown number (+91 9232037584). The caller claimed to be from the customs department and informed Arun Kumar that a FedEx courier had been booked using his Aadhaar number. The parcel allegedly contained five passports, five ATM cards, 200 grams of MDMA, and USD 5,000, and was currently held by Mumbai customs.
When Arun Kumar denied having made such a booking, the caller connected him to a "senior officer" through a hotline. The person on the hotline, posing as a police officer, convinced Arun Kumar that his Aadhaar card had been misused, and a complaint had been registered. They further informed him that his Aadhaar card was linked to multiple bank accounts and had been used by terrorists to purchase SIM cards.
The fake officer then told Arun Kumar that he would be placed under virtual arrest and monitored via Skype from July 29 to August 9, 2024. He was instructed to stay in one room of his house and avoid contacting others. Following this, the scammer persuaded Arun Kumar to transfer funds to various bank accounts to resolve the alleged issue. Between August 6 and August 9, Arun Kumar transferred a total of Rs 1,33,81,000 from his HDFC Bank account.
A case has been registered at the Udupi cyber police station.