Chandigarh residents fall prey to fake messages on social media

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 5

Around five persons fell prey to fake messages circulating on the social media regarding home delivery of liquor in Chandigarh during the curfew and lost money paid as advance to purchase liquor.

The police said they received around 10 complaints. Of this, a majority of the people didn’t pay the money. In one of the incidents, Sanjeev Kumar, a resident of Sector 39, lost Rs 28,965 to the fraud.

The police said Kumar saw a Facebook post regarding home delivery of liquor from a store in Sector 22. The post had pics of a liquor vend with wine bottles and a mobile number.

The victim, unaware of the fact that it was a trap laid by some swindler, called on the mobile number and placed the order on April 25. The police said the victim was asked to make the payment in advance, which he did. Later, the victim realised that he had been duped.

The police said some others city residents were also duped in a similar manner. However, the money lost by them was relatively low.

“Others lost amount ranging between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500,” sources said.

A police official said since the liquor stores were not allowed to open during the curfew, people got lured on knowing about home delivery of liquor and fell into the trap.

The Cyber Crime investigation cell has recieved around 12 complaints. However, everyone did not lose the money.

“They were asked to pay advance, which they didn’t. Hence, they saved themselves from getting duped. However, they reported the matter to us,” said a police official.

Mobile numbers and bank account numbers in which the money was transferred were found to be of Odisha and West Bengal.

The police have registered a case of cheating and the IT Act against an unknown person on the complaint of Sanjeev and initiated an investigation.

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