‘120 LSD strips in your parcel caught by Customs’: Senior citizen loses Rs 2 cr in cyber fraud

Over the next two weeks, large sums of money were sought from the complainant on various false pretexts and by threatening her of legal action including arrest and imprisonment. Officials said she was forced to make close to a dozen large transfers over a period of two weeks, totalling Rs 2.08 crore. “Recently, the complainant came across media reports about drugs in parcel frauds and realised that she had been cheated. She later approached us and an FIR was registered. A probe has been launched,” said an officer from Cyber Crime police station.

In the drugs in parcel scams, the victims receive the IVR message and are then connected to fake international courier service executives. These executives claim drugs have been found in parcels sent by victims to foreign countries. They are told about police involvement and are told to communicate via Skype with fake profiles posing as law enforcement officers. Fraudsters impersonate as IPS officers to further deceive victims. They coerce victims into transferring money for various reasons, including customs fees or legal charges, and by also claiming that their bank accounts are at risk from hackers. Callers often intimidate victims, claiming they’re under surveillance. Both Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad police have reported over 200 cases of drugs in parcel frauds since January last year, officials said.