Fake medicine export deal bleeds Chandigarh man of ₹60 lakh
Lured with a lucrative overseas medicine supply deal, a city-based businessman ended up getting duped of ₹60.65 lakh in an elaborate online fraud.
The victim, Sunil Kumar of Sector 32-C, was duped under the pretext of facilitating export of a cancer medicine, Avastin Powder, to an alleged US-based pharmaceutical company in exchange for a substantial profit.
According to the complaint filed with the cyber crime cell, Sunil was first contacted through Facebook by one Morris Pauline, who introduced him to a deal to supply 300-500 kg of Avastin Powder every month to Actelion Laboratory, USA. The deal appeared legitimate, with email communications initiated from actelionpharma01@yahoo.com and further coordination taking place over WhatsApp.
Sunil was directed to procure the medicine from a supplier named Sharma Enterprises based in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. He subsequently made an initial order of 50 kg by paying ₹13 lakh to bank accounts linked to the firm.
The fraud then unfolded gradually with a series of fabricated delays. Sunil was told that a truck transporting his consignment met with an accident and told to pay ₹10 lakh for logistics.
An additional ₹3.5 lakh was paid to Sharma Enterprises. To add authenticity, the accused even generated a fake USFDA certificate, for which Sunil paid a staggering ₹34.15 lakh to an agent posing as a regulatory official. A forged certificate was emailed to him on October 26, 2024.
As the final step of deception, Sunil was asked to pay for opening an offshore account to receive his payments. He paid 10,000 US dollars, ₹9.68 lakh for an IMF referral code and 4,000 US dollars for a deposit—bringing the total fraud amount to ₹60.65 lakh. The victim eventually realised he had been scammed and alerted the cyber cell, triggering a probe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
CBI arrests Mumbai resident in Operation Chakra-V, conducts multi-state raids in 10 locations
New Delhi [India] June 13 (ANI): In a crackdown on cyber financial crimes, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted multi-state searches under Operation Chakra-V, targeting cyber-enabled financial crimes. The CBI carried out extensive searches at 10 locations across Delhi, Hisar, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, and Nashik in connection with a cyber-enabled organised investment fraud case. The CBI has also arrested one accused, a resident of Kalyan, Mumbai, after his involvement surfaced in the fraud. The accused was actively involved in supplying pre-activated SIM cards and mule bank accounts to cybercriminal networks, thereby enabling and sustaining their illegal operations. Substantial incriminating material was recovered from his possession during the searches. The case pertains to a well-orchestrated fraud where unsuspecting individuals were cheated through a fraudulent mobile application and WhatsApp groups. The perpetrators deceitfully lured innocent investors by promising shares of reputed listed companies at discounted rates. Once the victims invested their hard-earned money, the accused misappropriated the funds, causing significant financial loss to the public. During the coordinated searches, the CBI seized incriminating digital and documentary evidence from the premises of the accused persons, exposing the intricate modus operandi employed to dupe innocent investors. Operation Chakra-V underscores the CBI's unwavering commitment to dismantling cybercrime syndicates and infrastructure supporting the commission of such offences. Investigation is continuing. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Trump administration to keep detaining pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil despite judge's order
The US government said on Friday pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil would remain in detention after a U.S. judge ruled foreign policy interests could not be used to justify confinement of the Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist. Khalil's lawyers had called for his immediate release, but U.S. attorneys said in a letter to the judge they would keep holding him on other charges such as immigration fraud that were not addressed in the Wednesday ruling. Also Read: Mahmoud Khalil accuses Columbia of laying 'groundwork for my abduction,' compares admin to Nazi collaborators in op-ed President Donald Trump has vowed to deport foreign students like Khalil in the pro-Palestinian protest movement, which Trump has called antisemitic. Civil rights groups say Khalil's arrest and detention are an attack on protected political speech. Lawyers for the Syrian-born activist were fighting for his release as Kilmar Abrego Garcia, another immigrant targeted by the Trump administration, pleaded not guilty to migrant smuggling charges after his wrongful deportation. Also Read: Who is Noor Abdalla? Mahmoud Khalil's wife gives birth to their first child, claims ICE refused to let him see family Marc Van Der Hout, a lawyer for Khalil, said the government practically never detained people for immigration fraud and he was being punished for opposing Israel's U.S.-backed war in Gaza following Hamas' October 2023 attack. "Detaining someone on a charge like this is highly unusual and frankly outrageous," said Khalil's lawyer Marc Van Der Hout. "There continues to be no constitutional basis for his detention." Newark, New Jersey-based U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz on Wednesday ruled the administration was violating Khalil's right to free speech by trying to deport him under a little-used law granting the U.S. secretary of state power to seek deportation of non-citizens whose presence in the country was deemed adverse to U.S. foreign policy interests. Also Read: As Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil faces US deportation, Columbia Journalism School speaks out The U.S. government has also said Khalil should be deported because he fraudulently withheld information from his application for a green card. Khalil's lawyers said allegations he misrepresented himself in his application are spurious. Farbiarz has written that lawful permanent residents are rarely detained on the basis of immigration fraud. Khalil, a prominent figure in pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's war on Gaza, was arrested by immigration agents in the lobby of his university residence in Manhattan on March 8. He has since been held in immigration detention in Louisiana. Khalil's U.S. citizen wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, gave birth to the couple's first child while Khalil was detained in April.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Raj police warn about fake mobile app used for cyber fraud
Jaipur: The cyber crime branch of Rajasthan police issued a warning about a new cyber fraud involving a fake mobile app designed to steal personal and financial information. The app, disguised as "SBI is being shared widely through WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram. According to SP cyber crime Shantanu Kumar, the app is a form of Android malware. Once downloaded and installed, it operates in the background without the user's knowledge and secretly collects data from the device, including SMS messages, contact lists, and app notifications. This information is then transferred to an unsecured server hosted on Google Firebase. The primary objective of the malware is to capture sensitive financial information such as credit and debit card numbers, CVV, PINs, PAN numbers, and other personal identifiers to commit financial fraud and other cybercrimes. Rajasthan police urged the public to stay cautious and follow cyber safety practices. People are advised to download the SBI REWARDZ app only from the official Google Play Store and to avoid installing APK files received through social media platforms. If anyone installed a suspicious APK file, they should uninstall it immediately. Victims of such cyber frauds should contact the cyber helpline at 1930 or file a complaint online at the cyber crime reporting portal. Reports can also be made at the nearest police station or cyber police station. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
