Your friend in distress could be an e-fraudster

Mumbai: Although economic activity has come to a near standstill due to the lockdown, there is no let-up in online crime. Fraudsters have managed to steal from hundreds of bank accounts by either impersonating acquaintances of account holders, tricking tipplers desperate to buy liquor online, or deceiving those searching for service providers.

Last week, the promoter of a startup in Mumbai fell victim to an identity theft fraud. The fraudster impersonated an acquaintance abroad, using photographs from social media, and reached out to him over messaging apps and social media to trick him into sending over Rs 2 lakh for an “emergency”. Upon detecting the fraud, he filed a complaint with the cybercrime cell and reached out to his bank. But the funds were already transferred out of the impersonator’s account into multiple ones across the country, and from there to digital wallets.