New Delhi: A Bengaluru based lawyer became the victim of the new fake FedEX scam, where she was grilled for over 36 hours on call, blackmailed and forced into stripping on camera, was also defrauded of Rs 15 lakh.
The victim reportedly got call from scamsters impersonating as CBI officials, who informed her that apparently there has been a FedEX parcel by her name and that it contained banned substances. The call that lasted for 36 hours between April 3 and April 5 had left the woman with the most horrifying experience.
In the guise of doing narcotics test, the woman was forced into stripping online. She was also extorted into transferring Rs 15 lakh. The scammers also blackmailed to upload her pictures in the dark web, if she failed to adhere to their commands, she narrated.
The modus operandi used by these so called FedEX scammers have been same — they pretend to be officials from central agencies, falsely accused the victim of drug trafficking and terrorism and then subsequently warn of police action. The callers also threatened the victims by saying that if they ignored the directives, they could be prosecuted under various charges like NDPS Act and money laundering.
Usually, such kind of pressures lead vulnerable victims to share their secret bank details, which the scammers then exploit to siphon off the latter’s hard-earned money.
In cases as these, victims are forced into download skype during which callers, claiming to be cops, force them to remain seated for long hours in front of the screen by “digitally” arresting them. A ‘digital arrest’ is a deceptive tactic used by cybercriminals to exploit people under the guise of law enforcement or investigative agencies.
