Chandigarh resident duped by Facebook ‘friends’ twice

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 26

A Sector 39 resident has been duped twice by cyber fraudsters of Rs 39.33 lakh. According to the police, complainant Kamlesh Kumar reported he had received a friend request on Facebook from a profile in the name of Sara Anna.

The suspect claimed to be an employee of a pharmaceutical company making cancer medicines. She claimed their company purchased raw material from Russia at higher costs.

The suspect enticed the victim into purchasing raw material from India, where it was available at cheaper rates, and supply it to her company at a lower cost. The suspect claimed they would share the profit.

The victim was asked to speak to a distributor, who made the complainant transfer Rs 18.56 lakh on various occasions. Kumar later found out he had been duped.

Further, the victim got duped of Rs 20.77 lakh by another Facebook “friend” with a profile in the name of Helena Santos, who claimed to be a doctor settled in the UK.

The suspect claimed she wanted to send him a gift on his birthday and sought his particulars. The fraudsters then made the complainant transfer money to their bank accounts on the pretext of duty charges for receiving the parcel that they claimed had arrived at the airport. He transferred the money and realised he had again been duped.

The police have registered a case at the Cyber Crime police station and initiated an investigation.

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