Vishing case: Cybercriminal poses as trader, dupes man of ₹2L

A cyber fraudster impersonated a foreign exchange trader and made the complainant deposit ₹2.07 lakh on the pretext of trading US dollars.

A 58-year-old retired assistant vice-president of a transport company, which has its office in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), lost ₹2.07 lakh to vishing.

A 58-year-old retired assistant vice-president of a transport company, which has its office in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), lost ₹2.07 lakh to vishing. (Representative image)

A cyber fraudster impersonated a foreign exchange trader and made the complainant deposit ₹2.07 lakh on the pretext of trading US dollars.

According to the BKC police, the complainant lodged an FIR on August 21, alleging he and his sister were planning a trip to the United States and were in need of US dollars. He scanned the internet for foreign exchange traders and found ‘Sonakshi forex’ which had its office in BKC.

He dialled the number and a man asked him to connect on WhatsApp. He said he would send his delivery man with the US dollars within an hour of him making the payment. The man sent his bank details. The complainant sent ₹69,100 for 1,000 dollars but the accused said they do not take small orders and asked him to send money for 2,000 dollars.

The complainant then asked his sister to make the rest of the payment as she too needed dollars. The accused said his employee would return in an hour and then deliver the dollars. When the complainant called after a few hours, the man said his employee had still not returned. The next day, his phone was switched off. The complainant then went looking for the address given on the internet but there was no such office in BKC.

A police officer from BKC police station said, “We have registered an FIR and are tracking the mobile number and the bank account where the money has been transferred.”