A woman named Dhwani Mehta from Malad in Mumbai faced the consequences of an online scam while trying to help a wounded bird she encountered at her workplace in Famous Studios, Mahalaxmi. She decided to search for bird rescue organisations on Google to seek assistance for the injured bird.
Using the information she found online, Dhwani dialed the toll-free number of what appeared to be a reputable NGO specialising in bird rescue. She sought their assistance. However, unbeknownst to Dhwani, the people from the NGO were not genuine support staff but cybercriminals.
The scammers quickly provided Dhwani with a link to a complaint form, assuring her that submitting the form would initiate the rescue process. Dhwani was required to pay a nominal fee of INR 1 to submit her complaint.
The expected rescue team never arrived at Dhwani's office. It was only after four days that Dhwani received a SMS notification while she was on a train, informing her that almost INR 1 lakh had been withdrawn from her bank account. To seek justice, Dhwani promptly lodged a complaint with her bank and reported the incident to the Cyber Crime Department.
Taking action in accordance with the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act of 2000, Dhwani reported the fraudsters for impersonation, cheating, and forgery. The police are actively working to identify the culprits. They have also reached out to the bank and cell phone providers to gather crucial information.
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