Mumbai, 7 July : A private company employee from Pune has recently been swindled in what is now being labeled as a ‘parcel scam,’ resulting in a loss of Rs 12 lakh due to a sophisticated online fraud.
The victim, who has opted to remain anonymous, was contacted by individuals posing as representatives of a courier service. They concocted a fictitious narrative regarding a parcel purportedly sent by the victim to Taiwan, allegedly containing illicit items such as expired passports and drugs.
Employing intimidation tactics, the scammers coerced the victim into believing that dire consequences would ensue if the supposed illegal parcel was not promptly addressed. To bolster their deception, it is likely that they assumed the identities of officials from various authorities, creating an atmosphere of fear and urgency.
In a state of distress, the victim was manipulated into making multiple online transactions, supposedly as fees and penalties to ‘legitimize’ the non-existent parcel. It was only later, upon realizing the non-existence of the parcel, that the victim grasped the extent of the deception.
A complaint has been lodged at Pune Police Station, and an investigation into the cyber fraud is currently underway.
