Gangtok woman duped of Rs 1 lakh by fake customs official

PRAKASH ADHIKARI, EOI, GANGTOK, JULY 23, 2024: A 54-year-old woman from Tathangchen, Gangtok, has been duped of Rs 1 lakh by a scammer posing as a customs officer. The case was registered under Sadar PS Case FIR No. 106/2024 on Monday under relevant sections of the IPC and IT Act.

The complainant received a call on June 14, 2024, from an unknown number. The caller, claiming to be a customs officer from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, informed her that a consignment under her name, containing fake passports, ATM cards, and 140 grams of MDMA, was set to be shipped to Malaysia. The caller threatened that a criminal case would be registered against her at the New Delhi Police Station if she did not cooperate.

Following this, the complainant received multiple documents, arrest warrants, and threats to seize her property. She was then contacted via WhatsApp and instructed to transfer Rs 1 lakh to a specified bank account for "Public Office Fund Legalization".

Out of fear, she transferred Rs 1 lakh through G-Pay to a WhatsApp number linked to UPI.

Later, the complainant lodged an FIR seeking legal action against the unknown perpetrators. The case is currently under investigation.