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Online fraudsters lure doctor with 'reward' for his Covid-19 work

Last Updated 19 July 2020, 20:41 IST

Claiming to represent a foreign charity, a group of fraudsters offered city-based doctor masks, sanitisers and immunity capsules, and forced him to pay Rs 25,000 as customs charges for delivering the items.

Dr. Jayanth G S, 40, grew suspicious and filed a complaint with Whitefield CEN police when the gang demanded more money. It all began when a woman named Natalin Polska contacted him on LinkedIn and praised his medical work, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She took his number and later told him over the phone that she runs a charitable trust abroad and wanted to send N-95 masks, 200 kilograms of sanitisers, immunity capsules and personal gifts to him. Dr. Jayanth sent her his details.

On July 14, Dr. Jayanth received an e-mail that asked for Rs 25,000 as custom charges to get the materials delivered. Dr. Jayanth transferred the money to the bank account mentioned in the e-mail. A while later, someone claiming to be a courier called him up and told him there was cash in the parcel and he needed a money-laundering certificate to receive the parcel.

When the courier demanded Rs 98,000, Dr Jayanth grew suspicious and lodged the police complaint. An investigating officer said the fraudsters concocted the story about running a charitable organisation. When Dr. Jayanth tried contacting Polska, she insisted that he should pay the money, which he refused to do.

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(Published 19 July 2020, 20:01 IST)

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