Mumbai, July 31: In an incident of cybercrime, a couple was duped of Rs 40,000 by fraudsters posing as Indian Army personnel in Maharashtra’s capital city Mumbai. The couple runs a side business of selling cashews. The fraudsters impersonating Army men tricked them on the pretext of making advance payment. The incident took place on Monday. The 35-year-old complainant is an accountant in Bhandup. Madhya Pradesh: Man Dupes Petrol Pump Owner of Rs 50,000 in Jabalpur By Impersonating Police Officer.

The woman and her husband run a Facebook page for promoting their business. According to a report published in The Indian Express, the couple received a message on Facebook from a man who introduced himself as Manjeet Singh. He told them that he was a Havaldar in the India  Army and was posted at Khadki Camp in Maharashtra’s Pune district and worked in a kitchen there. Madhya Pradesh Cybercrime: Man Arrested For Duping Two Bhopal-Based Women of Rs 21.92 Lakh on Pretext of Providing Jobs in Airlines.

The man asked them to send details about cashews they have and their rates. He told the couple that he would order 50 kg of cashews. The 35-year-old woman replied that they deliver the order only after receiving advance payment. The fraudster said that he would speak to his Major and would get back to them. The next day, the man called the woman and said that they would purchase cashews. He asked the woman to send her ID proof. The woman messaged soft copy of her PAN card.  He also sent his “Havaldar’s” ID card.

She got a call on July 26 from a man who introduced himself as Major Sandip Kumar Sharma. He reportedly told the woman that he was sending a payment link. The woman clicked the link, and Rs two got deducted from her account, but minutes later, Rs four got credited to her bank account.

According to the media report, the fraudster sent another link. After clicking on the link, Rs 20,000 got deducted from her account. After which she called the man, who told her that it was due to a technical glitch and asked to click on another link which he sent. This another Rs 20,000 got debited. When she called the man, he started to argue. The couple approached the police. An FIR was registered at the Chembur Police Station, and the police launched an investigation into the case to nab the accused.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 31, 2021 11:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).