Mangaluru: A Puttur doctor, Dr. Chidambara Adiga, 69, fell prey to an online fraud, losing Rs 16.5 lakh.
He received a call on March 28, allegedly from the Delhi police, claiming an arrest warrant was issued against him for drug offenses, money laundering, and human trafficking by a Delhi CBI court.
Given two choices, Dr. Adiga opted for an online court hearing and was instructed to transfer funds to a specified account. Assurances of reimbursement were given. Documents resembling a court case were sent to Dr. Adiga's WhatsApp to enhance legitimacy. Believing the caller, he transferred the amount. Suspecting fraud after a demand for more funds, Dr. Adiga reported the incident.
A case has been filed under various IPC and IT ACT sections.