Team Herald
PANJIM: The Cyber Crime Police have apprehended a jeweller from Andhra Pradesh for impersonating a Delhi Crime Branch Police Inspector and cheating a victim out of a staggering Rs 1 crore.
A resident of Marna, Siolim, filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police Station after receiving fraudulent communication between December 26 and 28. The victim was contacted by a WhatsApp user posing as a Delhi Police Inspector, claiming that a police complaint had been filed against her. The impersonator sent forged documents, including letters purportedly from the Supreme Court of India, further convincing the victim of the legitimacy of the scam.
The accused pressured the victim to transfer Rs 1 crore in multiple transactions to different bank accounts, under the guise of safeguarding the money until an investigation was concluded. The Cyber Crime Police swiftly traced the transactions to a bank account linked to Yaramala Venkateswarlu, a 53-year-old jeweller from SN Puram, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Venkateswarlu received Rs 40 lakh in the scam.
Following a manhunt and technical surveillance, the accused was arrested in Vijayawada. Authorities froze the disputed amount in the bank account and continued their investigation. The accused, an MSc in Chemistry, reportedly carried out the fraud via WhatsApp calls and manipulated the victim using fake legal
documents.
The Cyber Crime Police have issued a public advisory, urging caution regarding fraudulent calls from individuals claiming to be from the police or enforcement agencies and demanding money.