Gang of fraudsters busted

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 5

The Ludhiana police busted a gang involved in duping people by posing as customs officials. In the latest case, two Mohali-based persons allegedly cheated a woman of Rs 1.43 lakh on the pretext of releasing a courier to her containing expensive gifts and foreign currency.

The complainant Jaspreet Kaur of Rajguru Nagar said she had registered herself on the matrimonial site and had recently got a call from a man named Chetan Bhagat, who claimed himself to be a resident of the USA. He had expressed his interest to her for marriage.

“The accused told me that he was visiting India in July. Later he again called me and said that his flight had got cancelled due to the lockdown. He, however, told me to collect a courier containing expensive gifts and foreign currency he had bought for me,” the victim said.

The victim said a few days later, she got a call from some unknown person who posed himself as a customs official at airport and he said that some parcel from the USA was lying stuck due to the non-payment of charges.”

The alleged customs official told me to deposit Rs 1.43 lakh in some

bank account. When I deposited the amount, I was again told to deposit Rs 2.25 lakh more, which raised my suspicion and I filed a police complaint” woman added.

Police Commissioner Rakesh Agrawal said when the bank accounts, in which the woman had transferred money, were verified, these were found to be in the name of Ranbir Singh and Rustam Singh of Mohali who had posed themselves as customs officials to dupe a woman.

Inform police about cyber fraud: CP Agrawal

CP Rakesh Agrawal cautioned the residents to be aware about calls being made by the cyber criminals and if anyone is cheated by cyber criminal, he/she should call the police or send a complaint at CP.ludhiana.police@punjab.gov.in. The cyber cell will help the complainant.