Doctor loses Rs. 4.9 lakh in online scam while asking for refund from cab service

In these, post-Covid days, we are heavily reliant on calling customer care services for every small query or problem. However, when looking for the customer care number, we often do a peremptory Google Search and dial the first number that appears on the list without giving it a second thought. It proved costly for a doctor who was caught up in an online cab refund scam. In a hurry, a Delhi doctor fell into a trap laid down by these criminals while trying to connect to the cab service customer care, which he found online. In the shocking event, the man, named Pradeep Chowdhury, lost over Rs. 4.9 lakh while asking for a refund due to the overcharging by the cab driver. Check out how the case took place.

Delhi online scam

According to a Times of India report, Doctor Pradeep Chowdhury of Arjun Nagar in Safdarjung Enclave was travelling to Gurgaon for work during which he was overcharged by Rs. 113. To ask for a refund, he Googled the cab service customer care number and dialled it. However, Pradeep was unaware of what he might have to face later. The caller was answered by a scammer who portrayed himself as a customer care representative from the cab service.

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Pradeep explained the whole situation to the caller and then he was directed to another person named Rakesh Mishra. The callers tricked the doctor into downloading the remote sensing application and opening his e-wallet, where the scammer asked Pradeep to enter the refund amount along with the first six digits of his phone number. The scammer portrayed the steps as a verification process. After the process, the victim was asked to share an OTP during which he lost Rs. 4.9 lakh - in four different transactions!

Now, this online scam is under investigation and a case has been registered under IPC section 420 (related to cheating) and 66 D of the IT Act. It is suspected that the scammer posted the fake customer service number online and Chowdhury became a victim of the online fraud. Now, the authorities are actively working to crack the case and find the fraudsters who have been fooling people with fake numbers.

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