Priest in Powai duped of ₹2 lakh by telecom imposter

A case has been registered against unknown persons after a 74-year-old priest from Powai was allegedly duped of ₹2 lakh by frauds who posed as officials from the Telecommunication Department threatening to implicate him in a criminal case.

According to the priest, who works at the Siromalabar Church in Powai, on April 24, he had received a call from a fraud. The caller introduced himself as an official of the Telecommunication department, informing him that a mobile number registered in his name was being used for illegal activities.

When the priest asked the caller to tell him the mobile number, the caller gave him an Airtel company number – 7036820103. The priest told the caller that the number was not his, after which the caller asked him to contact the police officers to find out more about the case in which he was being implicated.

The priest said that after that call, he began getting calls demanding money or else he would be arrested. Getting scared of the content of the WhatsApp messages and calls, the priest agreed to pay the fraud ₹2 lakh.

After he had transferred the money into an account, which was given to him by one of the callers, his bank manager asked him about the said transaction. The priest then disclosed to the bank manager that a mobile number which was registered in his name had been allegedly used in illegal activities. The bank manager however told the priest that he is a victim of cyber fraud and advised him to lodge a complaint with the Powai police station.

Based on the statement of the priest, the Powai police have registered a case under sections 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Information Technology Act. “We are tracing the caller and are tracking down the financial transaction done by the complainant,” said a police officer. Hindustan Times