PUNE: Police have lodged a complaint filed by a mother, admitted in the post-natal care at KEM hospital, who was duped of ₹26,700 by a caller claiming to be a hospital staff.
The Pune police have seen a rise in cases registered by patients admitted at private and government hospitals being duped in a similar manner.
The woman received a call on Friday when a relative from Shikrapur was visiting her. Having given birth to twins, the woman was undergoing treatment when she received a call from a mobile number whose details have been submitted to the police.
“The number seems local, but due to number port facility, we cannot draw any conclusion until the service provider responds (provides information),” said Ulhas Kadam, inspector (crime) of Samarth police station who is investigating the case.
The caller told the woman that he is a doctor at KEM and that her children were in need of an injection that would ensure proper functioning of her premature babies, according to the complaint.
The woman was told that the injection costs ₹26,700 and that she will need to send the money using Google Pay attached to the caller’s phone number, according to the police.
{{/usCountry}}The woman was told that the injection costs ₹26,700 and that she will need to send the money using Google Pay attached to the caller’s phone number, according to the police.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Madhur Rao, senior deputy medical administrator, KEM Hospital, said that fraudsters are targeting relatives of patients at our hospital which is disturbing. “As soon as we became aware of this happening we immediately informed the cyber crime unit. We have put up notices for all our patients and their relatives reiterating that they should make payments only at the hospital counters. Unfortunately, in this case, a patient’s brother got a call on the landline from a person claiming to be a doctor attached to the hospital. It was only after paying the amount and later inquiring from the treating consultant that it was found that no such request had been made,” Rao said.
A case under Section 420 (cheating) of Indian Penal Code and Sections 66(c) and 566(d) of Information Technology Act was registered at Samarth police station.
Similar cases were registered at Bundgarden and Wanowrie police stations. The cyber crime cell has involved police from other states also to probe some of these cases.