E-Paper
Cyber conmen targeting medical store owners in Prayagraj
Cyber fraudsters are targeting medical store owners, offering to purchase medicine in bulk and paying through an online app before duping the traders. Over a dozen cases have been reported in recent months, with the cyber cell working to trace the gang involved in the fraud. Efforts are also being made to raise awareness among people to prevent such incidents. The cyber cell has managed to trace and retrieve cash in over a dozen cases.
Apart from targeting their usual suspects, the cyber fraudsters are now duping medical store owners on the pretext of purchasing medicines in bulk. Citing an emergency, they offer to pay through an online app and dupe the traders.
The traders who deliver medicines online are the vulnerable lot. Over a dozen have been duped during the past few months. After receiving such complaints, the cyber cell is now trying to trace the gang involved in the fraud. Moreover, efforts to create awareness among people regarding cyber fraud are also being made to control such incidents, police officials said.
Police officials said some chemists and medicine traders of Shivkuti and Chowk area have recently been targeted by cyber conmen. In all such cases, the same modus operandi was used. The fraudsters sent prescription or list of medicines and demanded medicines for one month.
If the cash payment exceeded ₹2,000, they asked for QR code for making payment.
A fake message of payment was then sent on the victim’s mobile phone. However, soon afterwards they called the traders and claimed that they had sent extra cash by mistake and asked the trader to return it immediately.
The unsuspecting traders returned the money, but later learn that they had been duped. As this is the new modus operandi, the traders are not too aware of such incidents.
Additional DCP (crime) Satish Chandra said the cyber cell is actively working to control cases of cyber frauds and raise awareness among traders.
In over a dozen cases during the past few months, the cyber cell has managed to trace and retrieve cash that was fraudulently taken by cyber conmen, he added.
