Bengaluru: Retired Techie Falls Prey To Rs 1.6 Crore Scam in 'Caution Deposit' Fraud

Bengaluru: A retired engineer fell victim to a scam, losing Rs 1.6 crore to fraudsters who duped him under the guise of a cautionary measure against a potential investigation by a central investigative agency. According to police reports on Thursday, the accused individuals, masquerading as employees of an international courier service, deceived the victim by falsely asserting that a package he had sent contained incriminating documents and drugs, known to probe agencies.

The perpetrators, exploiting the victim's fear of legal repercussions, demanded a "caution deposit" with promises of its return once the alleged investigation concluded. Deceived by this, the retired engineer parted with Rs 1.6 crore in what turned out to be a fraudulent transaction spanning from May 2 to May 6.

The matter came to light when the victim confided in his daughter about the ordeal. A case regarding the incident has been registered at the Cyber, Economic and Narcotics Crime Police Station in Mangaluru city.

In relative news from Bengaluru, a 52-year-old woman entrepreneur fell victim to an online scam in April, losing Rs 2.7 crore. However, she managed to recover Rs 1.7 crore by promptly reporting the incident to cybercrime police. The scam began with the woman receiving a link promising earnings by liking YouTube channels. Initially, she earned Rs 10,000, but scammers later persuaded her to invest, promising double returns.

Trusting them, she invested Rs 2.7 crore across various bank accounts mentioned by the scammers. Suspicions arose when she saw repeated messages claiming double payments, prompting her to seek help from a family friend. After filing a complaint, police froze the scammers' bank accounts, recovering Rs 1.7 crore.

The woman is also expecting an additional Rs 30 lakh soon. Police credited the swift complaint filing for the successful recovery, marking one of the highest amounts returned to a cybercrime victim.