‘Son in Canada caused fatal accident’: Now, Chandigarh couple loses ₹11 lakh to scammer

Believing that it would take ₹11.30 lakh for his son’s release from police custody, Gajinder Singh Dhillon of Chandigarh’s Sector 27 swiftly paid the amount, only to realise that he was swindled and there had been no accident at all

Online fraudsters targeted another city resident, this time with an alarming call that his son in Canada was involved in an accident.

Gajinder told the Chandigarh Police that the scammer contacted his wife via WhatsApp with a concocted story that a person had died after being hit by their son Jaideep Singh Dhillion’s vehicle. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Believing that it would take ₹11.30 lakh for his son’s release from police custody, Gajinder Singh Dhillon of Sector 27 swiftly paid the amount, only to realise that he was swindled and there had been no accident at all.

Gajinder told the police that the scammer contacted his wife via WhatsApp with a concocted story that a person had died after being hit by their son Jaideep Singh Dhillion’s vehicle.

They were informed that Jaideep was in police custody and ₹11.30 lakh were required for his release. So, they wired the amount to a mobile number provided by the caller, through Google Pay.

Meanwhile, their daughter contacted Jaideep on his mobile phone and found that he was safe in his bed at home. Realising the fraud, the couple contacted the police, who have registered a case under Sections 419, 420 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code at the Cyber Crime police station.

Amid rising cases of similar frauds, police have cautioned residents against phone calls involving fake stories about family or friends abroad and urged them to always verify the facts.