Woman Loses Rs 11 Lakh to Cybercriminals in Drugs-in-Parcel Scam

In a distressing drugs-in-parcel scam, a Pune woman was swindled out of Rs 11 lakh by cybercriminals posing as courier service executives and law enforcement officers. The scammers claimed drugs had been found in a parcel allegedly sent by her, manipulating her into giving them remote access to her phone.

The victim, a 26-year-old manager at a global bank, filed an FIR at Chatushrungi police station. The scam began in the second week of May when she received a call from a man pretending to be an executive from a courier company. He falsely informed her that a parcel in her name, sent to Iran, had been intercepted with illicit items, including debit cards and MDMA. When she denied sending the parcel, the caller claimed an FIR had been filed against her with 'Mumbai Narcotics.'

The scam escalated as the caller connected her to a supposed officer who promised to help clear her name. She was instructed to download a video calling app and communicate with a fake profile. During the video call, she was deceitfully told that her bank account was involved in illegal activities like money laundering.

Manipulating her further, the scammers coerced her into locking herself in a room and sharing her phone screen by downloading a remote access app. They also made her reveal her financial details and debit card PINs. Over the next few minutes, the cybercriminals siphoned Rs 11.6 lakh from her account through multiple online transfers, using OTPs obtained via remote access.

The victim later sought help from the Chatushrungi police, who registered an FIR. A cyber investigator from Pune city police highlighted the modus operandi of drugs-in-parcel scams, where criminals manipulate victims into transferring money by posing as law enforcement officials and intimidating them into compliance.

In such scams, fraudsters often contact victims claiming drugs have been found in parcels sent abroad. They pretend to be police or CBI officials and instruct victims to communicate via Skype with fake profiles. By impersonating high-ranking officers, they deceive victims into transferring money under the pretence of legal fees or customs charges and intimidate them by claiming their bank accounts are at risk.

Victims are urged to remain vigilant and avoid sharing personal or financial information with unknown callers, and to verify the identity of anyone claiming to be a law enforcement officer.