Posing as Canada-based grandson, swindler dupes Pinjore man of ₹3.5 lakh

The Pinjore resident received a call from a man posing as his grandson, saying that his friend needed money for the treatment of his wife

A resident of Pinjore was duped of ₹3.50 lakh by a fraudster posing as his Canada-based grandson.

The Pinjore was duped of ₹3.50 lakh by a fraudster posing as his Canada-based grandson (HT File)

Harpreet Singh of Pinjore told the police that on November 28, 2022, his father, Hari Singh, received a phone call from a man who claimed to be his grandson, who lives in Canada.

The caller informed Hari that he will be transferring ₹20 lakh to his bank account, as he wanted to purchase land in India. The caller shared a transfer confirmation receipt through WhatsApp.

After a while, Hari got another call that his grandson’s friend needed money for the treatment of his wife, who was admitted to a hospital in Kolkata.

The caller asked Hari to transfer ₹4 lakh through Google Pay at a mobile number provided by him, and keep the remainder of the ₹20 lakh sent to him.

But Hari transferred only ₹95,000 via Google Pay and the next day, visited the bank to deposit another ₹2.5 lakh.

There, Hari learnt that he never received ₹20 lakh in his bank account. When he called his grandson, he shared that he neither made any call to him nor transferred any money.

The family then approached the police, who, following a probe, have registered a case under Sections 419 (cheating by personation) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code at the cyber police station in Panchkula. No arrests have been made so far.