Date:08/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/08/stories/2009010859370500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Nigerian fraud: two duped of 3.35 lakh

Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD: Two persons -- one in Chandanagar and another in Balanagar -- fell prey to Nigerian fraud losing over Rs. 3 lakh.

The Cyberabad police on Wednesday said that a medical transcription company employee Indrajit Mishra (25), received an e-mail from a UK online lottery company congratulating him for winning prize of 5 lakh pounds. The e-mail stated that the process to send the prize money would begin if he deposited Rs. 50,000.

“Mishra did not get any doubt as the e-mail stated that he deposit the money in an account with Axis Bank,” Balanagar ACP Sridhar Rao said.

This way he deposited Rs. 2.25 lakh in three instalments in the bank account. He grew suspicious as the person stopped responding to his e-mails and approached the police.

In the second case, a private firm employee Srinivasa Rao (36) of Shantinagar in Chandanagar also lost Rs. 1.10 lakh in a similar fashion though he received an e-mail in the name of a British online company six months ago. The e-mail stated that he had won Rs. 1 crore in a lottery.

The company sought fee for transferring the money from abroad, process charge and deposit. Rao continued to deposit money in small sums of Rs. 20,000 over the past few weeks. On realising that he was taken for a ride, Rao lodged a complaint on Tuesday.

The ACP appealed to people to be cautious about responding to such unsolicited and fraudulent mails and alert the police on receipt of such information.