Mumbai Woman Falls Victim to Cyber Fraudsters While Helping an Injured Bird

A Mumbai woman's act of kindness towards an injured bird took an unexpected turn when she became a target of cyber fraud.Dhwani Mehta works at Famous Studios in Mahalaxmi as a Manager. She found herself stuck in a clever scam that left her facing financial loss. It all started when Mehta noticed an injured bird at her workplace and decided to seek assistance. Unable to find contact details for an organization of bird rescue, she turned to a Google search for help. Little did she know that this simple search would set off a chain of events leading to a significant monetary setback.
Mehta came across a toll-free number of an NGO and promptly made a call, believing she had found the right avenue for aid. Unbeknownst to her, the seemingly helpful individuals on the other end of the line were actually cyber fraudsters in disguise.
The scammers swiftly sent Mehta a link to a complaint form, which she completed and submitted, unaware of their ulterior motives. To add insult to injury, she was charged ₹1 for registering the complaint. Regrettably, despite her genuine intentions, no rescue team materialized at her office as promised.
The situation took a darker turn when Mehta received a shocking message four days later while traveling on a train. It informed her that ₹99,988 had been debited from her bank account. Realizing she had fallen victim to a cunning deception, Mehta took immediate action. She filed a complaint online with the Cyber Crime Department and visited her bank to formally lodge a written complaint.
Undeterred, Mehta pursued justice by filing a complaint with the GRP against the fraudsters for cheating, and forgery under the Indian Penal Code, as well as relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
The diligent GRP officer in charge stated that they had contacted the bank to gather details about the account where the money was transferred, as well as reached out to the cell phone companies. They expressed their commitment to bringing the culprits to justice.
This incident serves as a reminder for everyone to exercise caution and remain vigilant while navigating the online realm. Cyber scammers continue to devise increasingly sophisticated schemes, ready to exploit unsuspecting individuals.
Dhwani Mehta's encounter with the injured bird left her with a valuable lesson learned the hard way. Her story serves as a cautionary tale, prompting us all to exercise prudence before placing trust in toll-free numbers discovered on the vast expanse of the internet.