Team Herald
PONDA: Cases of online fraud through impersonation continue to rise in Ponda, despite government awareness campaigns urging mobile users not to fall prey to unknown callers. Advisory messages are even being played as caller tunes to warn citizens, yet the incidents persist.
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In a recent case on January 24, a woman from Prabu Nagar, Ponda, was duped of Rs 74,500 by an individual posing as a courier agent. The fraudster convinced her to download an application under the pretext of paying Rs 10 for a parcel delivery. Once the app was installed, the victim lost the large sum to the scam. Similar cases have been reported in the past, including one where a college principal was deceived.
In another case, an unknown fraudster impersonated a police officer and swindled a local resident from Marcaim. The Mardol Police have registered a case under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, along with Section 66D of the Information Technology Act.
According to the complaint filed by Pingu Pandurang Narvekar, the accused introduced himself as Mata Prasad, a constable in the CISF, and contacted the victim via Instagram.
The fraudster lured the complainant into purchasing a Honda Activa scooter for Rs 67,000, claiming that all the documents were in order and the vehicle was ready for sale.
Trusting the scammer, the victim transferred Rs 67,000 through Google Pay but never received the scooter. The accused subsequently became unresponsive, leaving the victim defrauded.
Authorities continue to urge the public to remain cautious while dealing with online transactions and unknown contacts.
