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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
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@ 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.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
City pharmacist duped of Rs 60.65 lakh in online Avastin powder scam
1 2 Chandigarh: A city-based pharmacist was allegedly duped of Rs 60.65 lakh by online fraudsters who posed as representatives of an overseas pharmaceutical company and promised to purchase large quantities of Avastin powder. Despite fulfilling the order and making multiple payments, the complainant received no payment in return. Following his complaint, the Cyber Cell of the UT police registered an FIR against unknown persons and began tracing the money trail to identify the accused. Sunil Kumar, a resident of Block Number 13, Sector 32, said he received an international order for the supply of Avastin powder in 2024. Believing the transaction to be legitimate, he coordinated with certified suppliers and logistics partners through an online platform. He made several payments via bank transfers as instructed by the overseas buyers and their associates, but ultimately received no payment, and all communication ceased. According to the complaint, the scam began on Sep 25, 2024, when a Facebook user named Morris Pauline contacted Sunil, offering a business opportunity to supply Avastin powder to Actelion Laboratory, USA Branch. Communication continued via WhatsApp, and an email from actelionpharma01@ requested a monthly supply of 300 kg of the medicine. Morris Pauline also provided contact details for Sharma Enterprises, a local supplier based in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, which quoted Rs 99,000 per kg for the powder. After sharing the supplier's details with Morris Pauline, Sunil received confirmation from a person claiming to be Dr Sarkis Serge Messerlian, CEO of Actelion Laboratory, who approved the rates and requested 1 kg for testing. Sunil then paid Rs 13 lakh to Sharma Enterprises for 50 kg of the product across two bank accounts. Sharma Enterprises later demanded an additional Rs 10 lakh for delivery, citing transport delays, prompting Sunil to transfer another Rs 3.5 lakh. Subsequently, Motion Cargo International issued an invoice for 50 packets and received Rs 92,552. Sunil also transferred Rs 12 lakh for 50 kg across two Navi Mumbai-based accounts (Rs 6 lakh each). In total, he paid Sharma Enterprises Rs 28.5 lakh and Motion Cargo International Rs 1,86,104. On Oct 6, 2024, Sharma Enterprises provided details of a supposed USFDA certificate agent. Sunil paid Rs 34,15,681 across various accounts and received the certificate on Nov 26, 2024. Two days later, Dr Messerlian confirmed receipt of the certificate and advised Sunil to open an offshore bank account. On Nov 30, Sunil paid a $10,000 account opening fee, an IMF referral code fee of Rs 9,68,088, and a $4,000 deposit supposedly to the International Monetary Fund. In total, Sunil Kumar paid Rs 60.65 lakh in what turned out to be a fraudulent business scheme involving the supply of Avastin powder. After all communication with the alleged buyers ceased and no payment was received, he filed a complaint at the cybercrime police station. Upon verifying the facts, the police registered a case against unknown persons and launched an investigation. 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 .
