Cyber criminals scam 62-year-old man by fake kidnapping of his relative

A group of cyber criminals reportedly defrauded a 62-year-old man of Rs 50,000 by employing a scheme where they falsely claimed that one of his relatives had been kidnapped.

According to the police, the victim, Lakshmi Chand Chawla, a resident of Yamuna Vihar in northeast Delhi, lodged a complaint on October 24 detailing the incident.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Joy Tirkey stated that Chawla received a call on his WhatsApp, during which the criminals asserted that his cousin’s son, a 25-year-old man, had been abducted. They threatened harm to the relative unless a sum of money was paid promptly. The complainant reported hearing the distressed voice of a man in the background during the call.

The accused provided a different phone number for the victim to make the payment. Fearing for his relative’s safety, Chawla transferred Rs 50,000 as instructed, as per the Deputy Commissioner of Police.

Subsequently, upon contacting his cousin, the victim realized that he had fallen victim to a scam, as his cousin’s son was safe at home. The DCP mentioned, “We have registered an FIR in the matter and initiated further investigations.”

The police are actively pursuing leads to apprehend the cyber criminals involved in this deception.

(With PTI inputs)