A senior level member of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kanpur was defrauded of Rs 21 lakh by a gang of American dupes pretending to represent the US Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The victim, Ramesh Chandra, received a call from a woman who said she was from the FBI, and his bank account was being used for illegal activities involving money laundering and drug trafficking. She asked him to shift his cash to a secure account owned by her to avoid prosecution.
Chandra, who retired as a deputy registrar from IIT Kanpur in 2019, believed her and transferred Rs21 lakh in many installments to different accounts. He also divulged his personal and banking details to the fraudsters.
However, there was no confirmation or receipt from the US authorities, and when he realized that he had been cheated, he turned to the local police and filed a complaint.
The police have lodged a case of cheating and criminal conspiracy against an unknown accused and have started an investigation in the matter. They have also informed the cyber cell and the bank authorities to help them trace the money and the fraudsters.
