‘Nephew jailed in Canada’: Chandigarh-based elderly couple loses ₹75 lakh

Unknown caller claimed that their relative, who lives in a foreign country, had been jailed; when she revealed that it may be her Canada-based maternal nephew Pamma, she was asked to pay money to get him discharged from jail

Online fraudsters duped an octogenarian couple of ₹75 lakh after claiming that their relative in Canada had landed in legal trouble.

As per Chandigarh Police, Jagdish Kaur and her 88-year-old husband, Bhag Singh, who live in Sector 46, received a phone call from an unknown US-based phone number on December 12, 2023. (HT)

As per police, Jagdish Kaur and her 88-year-old husband, Bhag Singh, who live in Sector 46, received a phone call from an unknown US-based phone number on December 12, 2023.

The caller claimed that their relative, who lives in a foreign country, had been jailed. When she revealed that it may be her Canada-based maternal nephew Pamma, she was asked to pay money to get him discharged from jail.

The same caller kept calling them continuously for three days, making them transfer ₹75 lakh to different bank accounts. The elderly couple eventually realised that they had been duped after which they complained to police.

A case under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at the cyber crime police station.

As per police, fraudsters frequently use this modus operandi to target unwary people, especially senior citizens, who have relatives living outside the country.

In June 8, a banker from Panchkula lost ₹1.65 lakh to a man pretending to be his nephew from the United Kingdom. Police cautioned residents against falling prey to such swindlers and cross-check claims by directly contacting their relatives/friends.