Jun3, (Mid-day): Three unidentified men called Purvi Trivedi in July 2014 and told her that she had won Rs 25 lakh via KBC lucky draw; asked her to pay a certain amount to complete formalities to claim the prize money
Ghatkopar police are on the lookout for three unidentified men who duped a small-time sweetshop owner of R1.83 lakh by fooling her into believing that she had won a Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) lottery. They told the victim that her cellphone number was selected through a lucky draw and that she had won Rs 25 lakh.
However, to claim the prize, she would have to pay a certain amount to complete the formalities. According to the officials, Purvi Yogesh Trivedi (35) received the first con call on July 3, 2014. And in a span of three months, the trio duped her of Rs 1.83 lakh.
An officer from Ghatkopar police station said, “The victim received numerous calls from the accused in the span of three months, during which they identified themselves as Rohit, Rajesh and Balaji. But we are certain the names are fake.”
During their conversations with Trivedi, the accused asked her to deposit various amounts in the ICICI bank account they provided her with. They claimed the collective amount was needed to complete the formality so that her prize money could be released soon. However, the fraud came to light after Trivedi told one of her friends about the KBC lottery she had won.
It was her friend who told her that she is being duped and must approach the police immediately. Trivedi then wrote an application to the Cyber Crime Cell in November 2014, requesting an inquiry into the matter. Based on their investigation, a case was registered at Ghatkopar police station last week.
Pak conmen?
“Investigation revealed that the calls Trivedi received were from Pakistan. Also, we are yet to obtain the bank account details in which she had deposited the money. Since Trivedi only had the account number, we have sought the help of the local ICICI Bank branch in securing the account details and are now awaiting their reply,” the officer said.
Senior inspector Vasant Patil from Ghatkopar police station confirmed that a case has been registered against the trio under Section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code and that several teams have been formed to nab the accused.