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In Bengaluru, a sophisticated scam has emerged, targeting unsuspecting residents by impersonating FedEx employees and law enforcement officials.
Recently, a 52-year-old businessman named Amit (name changed) from Bengaluru's HSR Layout, lost a staggering Rs 1.98 crore due to this scame. The scam begins with a phone call from someone claiming to be a FedEx courier, informing the victim about an intercepted package, allegedly containing illegal substances like MDMA, sent from Taiwan and addressed to them. The initial contact is a setup for the ensuing fraud.
So far the scam appears typical, but it takes a more menacing turn when the call is transferred to a fake "cybercrime branch of the Mumbai police." Here, victims are falsely implicated in money laundering investigations linked to the intercepted package.
In Amit's case, he was coerced during a Skype video call into believing that he needed to transfer money to a specific account to clear his name. The scammers maintained continuous contact, not allowing Amit or his wife to disconnect for over two days, further heightening the pressure and fear.
According to The News Minute report, Amit realized of being scammed only after he had transferred Rs 1.98 crore to the fraudsters. It's worth mentioning that the incident is not isolated as Bengaluru police recorded 163 cases of similar FedEx courier frauds from January to August, cumulatively costing victims over Rs 5 crore.
Notably, The city, which is known for housing India's top startups, also reports a high rate of cybercrime, with 73.4% of cases across 19 metropolitan cities in India.
The rise of financial scams in Bengaluru
Apart from the FedEx scam, Bengaluru is also witnessing a rise in 'online job' scams. These scams lure victims with promises of easy money for tasks like writing reviews or cryptocurrency trading. Victims are often shown fake bank transaction screenshots and are later asked to pay a processing fee, leading many into financial distress.
How to protect yourself from these scams
To safeguard against such scams, it's important to verify any package directly on the official FedEx website and avoid clicking on suspicious links. Police generally advise people to never share sensitive information like UPI PIN or bank details with strangers.
It's worth mentioning that law enforcement officials do not initiate contact through Skype and will follow formal procedures for communication. If you think you might be dealing with a scam, it's best to call emergency services or visit your local cybercrime police station.
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