Bengaluru journalist loses Rs 1.2 crore to FedEx scammers

Bengaluru: A 70-year-old Bengaluru journalist fell victim to the FedEx scam, losing Rs 1.20 crore to scammers posing as FedEx couriers and Narcotics Bureau officials. According to the authorities, on December 15, 2023, the journalist received a WhatsApp call from someone pretending to be a 'FedEx courier office' staff stationed in Mumbai. The imposter used the journalist's name and Aadhaar number, claiming that a courier in her name had 240 grams of MDMA, an illegal drug.

The scam worsened when the imposter stated that the call would be passed to an alleged NCB official, claiming that SBI credit cards were in the courier illegally transported to Taiwan. The victim was then tricked into installing the Skype software to speak with the 'NCB officer,' who demanded a large security deposit to avoid being implicated in a money laundering case, the News Minute reported.

The journalist gave in to the pressure and deposited Rs 1,20,36,246 crore to four bank accounts controlled by scammers.

Based on the journalist's complaint, Bengaluru East CEN police have filed a case under sections 43 (damage to computer, computer system, etc.), 66(c) (identity theft), and 66(d) (by means of any communication device or computer resource cheats by personation) of the Information Technology Act, as well as section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The FedEx courier scam usually involves scammers impersonating airport security officers or law enforcement agencies, causing anxiety in victims by claiming the detection of illegal items at airports. In most cases, scammers use strategies such as sharing victims' Aadhaar numbers and simulating automated calls and virtual meetings to establish a credible enforcement agency setup.