A constable posted at Kalyanpuri police station in Delhi fell victim to online fraud after clicking on a laptop advertisement on Instagram. The fraudsters managed to transfer 80,605 rupees from him. The police are actively working to track down the fraudsters.
New Delhi: A constable posted at Kalyanpuri police station in Delhi has fallen prey to cyber fraudsters. After clicking on a laptop advertisement on Instagram, the fraudsters induced him to transfer a total of 80,605 rupees. After receiving the money, the accused disconnected the call, and the constable realized he had been defrauded. The victim immediately filed a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
Constable Prema Ram Falls Victim to Instagram Fraud
Prema Ram (20), a resident of Jodhpur district in Rajasthan, is a constable in the Delhi Police and is posted at Kalyanpuri police station. While scrolling through reels on Instagram, he clicked on an advertisement for a laptop. Shortly after, he received a call from the purported seller, who spoke about booking the laptop.
The caller also sent documents on WhatsApp, which instilled confidence in Prema Ram. Due to the attractive pricing, he proceeded to transfer the money. However, the caller repeatedly claimed the transactions were failing and managed to get him to transfer money multiple times. Ultimately, a total of 80,605 rupees ended up with the fraudsters.
Cyber Fraud Complaint Filed
After transferring the money, when the caller's number was switched off, the constable understood that he had been defrauded. He immediately went to the East District Cyber Police Station and filed a complaint through NCRP.
Following an initial investigation, the police registered a case under sections 319-2 (cheating by personation) and 318-4 (dishonestly receiving property obtained by fraud) of the Indian Penal Code (BNS). Subsequently, the police have launched an investigation using call detail records and bank accounts to trace the fraudsters.
Measures to Prevent Cyber Fraud
Experts advise against clicking on any unknown links or advertisements. One should never transfer money based on the word of an unknown individual. In such cases, immediate contact should be made with the cybercrime helpline 1930.
Additionally, filing a complaint on www.cybercrime.gov.in is crucial. Directly reporting to your district cyber police station can also be helpful. These steps reduce the chances of fraud and aid in prompt action.
Need for Increased Vigilance Against Cyber Fraud
Incidents of online fraud are continuously rising in Delhi. Recently, even responsible officials like a police constable have become victims. This demonstrates that both technical knowledge and vigilance are essential.
Blindly trusting advertisements and links shared on social media is risky. To avoid such incidents, enhancing digital literacy and caution is imperative.
