Surat – A teacher from Surat's Lalgate area fell victim to a devastating cybercrime when she was swindled out of Rs 17.48 lakh after engaging with a man claiming to be a London-based doctor on the matrimonial site Shaadi.com.
The fraudster, posing as Dr. Prashant Peter, contacted the teacher after obtaining her number from the website. He provided a photograph and resume, claiming to be an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist originally from Chennai but currently residing in London. The teacher, seeking to marry a Christian man, was reassured by the man that he was a Catholic Christian despite his resume stating otherwise.
The man informed the teacher that he would be traveling to India for their marriage. On March 15, he sent pictures of his sister, father, travel luggage, and an air ticket. The teacher then received a call from a woman named Natasha, who claimed to be at Delhi airport with Prashant and his family. Natasha stated that they had brought a currency demand draft from London and needed Rs 39,000 to retrieve it.
The teacher transferred the money via Google Pay and subsequently paid various other fees, including a duty charge of Rs 1.37 lakh, a usage charge of Rs 3.48 lakh, GST of Rs 7.95 lakh, and a final license letter fee of Rs.
4.27 lakh, all deposited into different accounts under the pretense of assisting Prashant and his family. The victim depleted her entire bank balance and even broke her fixed deposit to cover these costs.
When the fraudster demanded an additional Rs 7.32 lakh, the teacher finally realized she had been duped. She subsequently filed a complaint with the cybercrime department.
Mr. Snehal Vakilna, International Cyber Lawyer, Investigator, and Data Privacy Specialist says, "the alarming rise in cybercrime cases like the one in Surat highlights the urgent need for increased public awareness and education about online scams. As a society, we must remain vigilant and skeptical when engaging with strangers online, while law enforcement and legal systems must continue to evolve and adapt to combat these ever-changing threats effectively."
