Bengaluru: A promised gift parcel from London cost a 46-year-old woman Rs 8 lakh after she responded to an Instagram advertisement. Fraudsters who contacted her on WhatsApp convinced her to pay the “delivery and customs clearance” charges, eventually extracting money from her, her son and two friends.According to the complaint filed by Swathi (name changed), a resident of Kaval Byrasandra, the fraud began on Oct 27, when she clicked on an Instagram advertisement and was redirected to WhatsApp. A person contacted her using a Pakistani mobile number, +92 3433838036, and befriended her, claiming to work in London and promising to visit India and meet her. He later told her that he had sent her a gift parcel.The fraudsters subsequently claimed that the parcel, containing valuable gifts including pound sterling (GBP), had arrived at an airport in India but was seized by customs officials. They initially demanded Rs 16,000 towards delivery and customs clearance, followed by further payments under various pretexts, assuring her that the parcel would be delivered once the charges were cleared. They also threatened her with trouble if she failed to pay.The fraudsters used eight WhatsApp numbers with Pakistani, Philippine and Indian country codes to communicate with her and pressure her into making payments.Swathi transferred Rs 6.6 lakh from one of her bank accounts and Rs 45,000 from another. She also transferred Rs 50,000 and Rs 20,000 from two of her son’s bank accounts. Additionally, Rs 8,000 each was transferred through the digital payment app accounts of two of her friends.By Nov 11, the total amount transferred to bank accounts and UPI IDs provided by the fraudsters was just shy of Rs 8 lakh. Swathi told police that the fraudsters had also asked her to make payments through cheques.After realising she had been cheated, Swathi approached East cybercrime police. A case has been registered under the Information Technology Act and Section 318 (cheating) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
