Sandesh, 25, a student from Udupi pursuing his master's degree in Dublin, Ireland, and his father were duped of over Rs 1 lakh in an online scam by a fraudster posing as an official from the Indian Embassy.
Srikant, 66, a resident of Kinnimulki, whose son Sandesh, 25, has been pursuing his MS studies in Dublin, Ireland, since 2024, said in the complaint that on June 30, at around 6.05 pm, an unknown person called Sandesh claiming to be from the Indian Embassy, according to the report by The New Indian Express.
The caller informed Sandesh that there was a anomaly in the date of birth mentioned in his IRP (Irish Residence Permit) application and that it should be changed immediately. If not done, it would result in his passport being moved to the Yellow group, and action would be taken against him.
Believing the caller, Sandesh sent copies of his Aadhaar card, birth certificate, and voter ID to the email ID provided by the fraudster.
Later, the accused asked Sandesh to transfer money in phases to different bank accounts under the pretext of verification, assuring him that all the money would be refunded once the verification process was complete.
Believing the process, Sandesh transferred Rs 58,533.07 to a bank account provided by the accused.
As Sandesh's Paytm transaction limit was exhausted, he informed his father (the complainant) on the same day, June 30.
Upon learning of the situation, the complainant transferred Rs 33,588.11 from his Paytm account and Rs 67,075.64 from his Google Pay account to the accused's bank account numbers, respectively.
The total amount of Rs 1,00,663.75 was allegedly transferred.
Subsequently, when the fraudster demanded even more money from Sandesh, the family realised that they had been cheated, as per the report by The New Indian Express.
A case was registered at the Udupi town police station under section 318(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66(D) of the IT Act.
