Retired health official loses ₹3.56 lakh in online fraud

The police registered his complaint under Sections 66 (C) and 66 (D) of Information Technology Act and under Section 420 of Indian Penal Code

The 78-year-old former regional advisor of World Health Organisation, who stays in Attavar, lodged a complaint with the Cyber Economic and Narcotic Crime Station in Mangaluru. | Photo Credit: Illustration for representation only

A retired health official who responded to an e-mail sent from an account resembling that of his friend has lost ₹3.56 lakh.

In a complaint with the Cyber Economic and Narcotic Crime Station here on Tuesday, the 78-year-old former regional advisor of World Health Organisation, who stays in Attavar, said he received the mail from the account johnpmeneze@gmail.com, which resembled johnpmenezes@gmail.com of his friend, John Prasad Menezes, stating that Mr. Menezes’s son and his wife in London have given birth to a child. The retired official replied congratulating the couple.

Then he received another mail from the same email ID giving an impresssion that Mr. Prasad missed the flight from London to India as his wife was unwell and hence he needed money for the return flight.

The retired official responded and transferred a total of ₹3.56 lakh between July 26 and July 31 from his Kotak Mahindra account to the account mentioned in the email.

The police registered his complaint under Sections 66 (C) and 66 (D) of Information Technology Act and under Section 420 of Indian Penal Code.