Bokaro doc duped of Rs 20.86L by cyber frauds

Bokaro: Cybercriminals robbed a senior doctor of Bokaro General Hospital (BGH) of Rs 20.86 lakh, police said.
The victim, identified as BGH's chief medical officer (in-charge) Dr Vibhuti Bhushan Karunamay (55), lodged an FIR with the district cyber police station on Saturday.
Dr Karunamay, in his FIR (a copy of which is with TOI), alleged that he was examining a patient at the BGH's echo-cardiography room on January 15 when his phone rang.The caller introduced himself as an employee of the telephone department. Claiming that objectionable photos and videos were send from Dr Karunamay's phone number, the caller threatened to block his number within a couple of hours unless the doctor gave out specific information. The caller asked the doctor to press 9.
Then, another man, identifying himself as a cop, told Dr Karunamay that a mobile number using his details had been obtained from a shop at Renuka Nagar in Nashik. The caller further claimed that Dr Karunamay must go there and collect the information or register a counter FIR online.
The caller made a WhatsApp video call and asked him to talk in a secluded room. The fraudster talked on the phone for two and a half hours.
Thereafter, the fraud put the phone on speaker and made him talk to another person, who told him that illegal activities were going on in five states from this number. The holder of this number is connected to Naresh Goyal money laundering. An ATM card has also been issued in his name in Canara Bank.
When the doctor replied that he did not have an account with Canara Bank, the fraudster told him that the truth would be unravelled after investigation by the RBI and ED. Till then, a non-bailable warrant has been issued. The fraudsters also sent a copy of the warrant to the doctor on WhatsApp.
On January 16, the doctor transfered Rs 20,86,947 through RTGS to the frauds for depositing it in the court. The criminals made the doctor write on a plain paper that he will not give this information to any of his relatives or anyone else due to the National Security Act. He was also asked to deposit Rs 25 lakh more. When the doctor got suspicious, he blocked the number. He was threatened on a call from another number. The doctor then sought help from the police.
Dr Karunamay did not respond to TOI's calls.
DIG (Koylanchal) Surender Kumar Jha said the matter was being investigated.