A Bengaluru man sought to alleviate his financial troubles by selling his kidney but fell victim to a scam, losing Rs 6.2 lakh.
According to The Times of India, Raghuvaran (name changed), aged 46 and living in Mathikere, reported to the Central CEN Crime police that on February 28, he had searched online for individuals seeking kidney donors.
After visiting kidneysuperspecialist.org, he found a contact number (9631688773) and was instructed to switch to WhatsApp communication. Raghuvaran provided his basic details, including name, age, address, and blood type, as requested.
Upon revealing his AB negative blood type, scammers offered him Rs 2 crore for a kidney, half of which was to be paid upfront. Raghuvaran then sent his identification proofs and a photograph to 'doctordineshkullar@gmail.com' as instructed.
"Initially, they asked me to pay Rs 8,000 for NOC and registration fee. Later, they told me to pay Rs 20,000 to purchase a code. The next day, they asked me to pay Rs 85,000 to operate the code," Raghuvaran told the publication.
On March 2, he was instructed to remit Rs 5 lakh for tax clearance in order to facilitate the transfer of funds to his account, and Raghuvaran complied with the directives. The subsequent day, he received a call from an unidentified number.
Raghuvaran recounted, "The caller, a woman, claimed to be a staffer of State Bank of India, Delhi, and asked me to make a payment of Rs 7.6 lakh to get anti-drug and terrorist clearance form."
"I suspected something fishy and didn't make the payment. They had sent me a form by email. I called my boss and a few friends. My boss informed me it was a scam and suggested that I immediately lodge a police complaint."
A senior police officer stated that a case has been filed under the Information Technology Act and IPC Section 420 for cheating. Efforts are underway to freeze the fraudsters' accounts. "We suspect the fraudsters have cheated many others similarly," the cop explained to TOI.
Published 12 March 2024, 07:49 IST