Coimbatore: Two lose money in online frauds

COIMBATORE: The city cybercrime police have booked unidentified people for cheating two people, including a woman, of more than 13 lakh. R Praveen Kumar, 34, an entrepreneur based in Neelikonampalayam at Singanallur, had received a text message from an unknown number recently, asking him to click the accompanying link to invest money in an online shopping platform.
He clicked the ink and contacted an unknown person and after several discussions, sent 6.59 lakh in several installments. After realising that he was cheated, Kumar lodged a complaint with the cybercrime police, who registered a case under sections 420 of the Indian Penal Code and 66 D of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
In yet another case, J Baby, 57, of Irugur, employee of a private firm, received a call from a person, who introduced himself as James Edwin, a doctor from England. “He told her that he was planning to buy land in India and would travel to India on November 1.
The next day, she received a call from a woman, who introduced herself as a customs department official. The woman told Baby that the department had seized goods worth eight million euros carried by James Edwin and demanded 6,45,000 for clearing them. As instructed, Baby transferred 6.45 lakh from her bank to some accounts,” an officer said. Baby lodged a police complaint after realising that she was cheated.