Mumbai doctor swindled of Rs 5.87 lakh in online SUV purchase scam

In a distressing incident, a doctor based in Kandivali fell victim to an online scam, losing Rs5.87 lakhs after being enticed by an advertisement offering an SUV at half the market price. Dr PS Shah (52) registered a case with the Kandivali police on Friday, narrating how he came across the enticing ad on Facebook on October 22, claiming the SUV, valued at Rs45 lakhs, was up for auction for only Rs19 lakhs.

According to TOI reports, the fraudulent scheme unfolded between October 22 and 27 when Dr Shah, excited about the seemingly lucrative deal, transferred Rs57,000 and Rs5.3 lakhs to the fraudster, who posed as a recovery credit manager from a nationalized bank (Bank of Baroda). The fraudster assured Dr Shah that the SUV, recovered from a defaulter, would be delivered to him. However, Dr Shah's hopes were shattered when he reached Solapur, following instructions from the scammer, only to discover that there was no location named "Hanuman Nagar Railway Yard" as indicated by the fraudster. Alarmed and realizing he had been duped, Dr Shah attempted to contact the scammer but found the number unreachable.

The doctor promptly reported the incident to the Kandivali police, prompting an investigation into the fraudulent transaction. The cyber team of the police station has sought details from the bank regarding the transactions to trace the funds. Additionally, Facebook has been contacted to provide information on the IP address associated with the scam, aiding in tracking down the unknown perpetrator. The case has been filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 419 (impersonation), 420 (cheating), along with relevant sections of the IT Act, such as 66 (C) (identity theft) and 66 (D) (cheating by personation using computer resources).