Shirva Woman Loses Rs 4.10 Lakh in Sophisticated Online Fraud
Shirva: A 52-year-old woman from Shirva has fallen victim to an elaborate online fraud, losing ₹4.10 lakh to a perpetrator impersonating a police officer via a WhatsApp video call. The incident, reported to the Shirva Police Station, underscores the increasing sophistication of cybercrime and the vulnerability of individuals to deceptive tactics.
According to law enforcement officials, Linet Mendonca received the initial contact on September 18th in the form of a WhatsApp video call from an unidentified individual clad in what appeared to be a police uniform. During the course of the conversation, the caller informed Mendonca that she was implicated in a criminal case and that her mobile number was slated for suspension. Exacerbating the situation, the fraudster asserted that the only way to protect her assets was to immediately transfer funds to a designated bank account, providing a PDF file purportedly containing evidence of the allegations.
Intimidated by the perceived authority of the caller and the gravity of the accusations, Mendonca complied with the demands, transferring a total of Rs 4,10,000 from her personal account to the account specified by the scammer. It was only later that Mendonca realized she had been deceived and promptly filed a formal complaint with the Shirva Police Station.
Authorities have registered a case and initiated a comprehensive investigation into the incident. The police are urging the public to exercise extreme caution when interacting with unknown individuals online, particularly those requesting financial transactions. They emphasize the importance of verifying the identity of callers claiming to be law enforcement officials through official channels and of refraining from divulging sensitive personal or financial information.