In a distressing incident, a 28-year-old woman from Pune fell victim to a cyber scam, losing a staggering ₹14 lakhs in a scam involving drugs hidden in parcels and being coerced to undress in front of a camera, adding emotional trauma to the financial loss.

The elaborate deception began when the woman received phone calls from individuals posing as representatives of courier services. They concocted a story alleging that a package she had supposedly sent to Taiwan contained illicit substances, including five expired passports and 950 grams of substantial quantities of narcotics.

Despite her repeated denials of having dispatched any such parcel, the scammers persisted in their scheme.

The fraud escalated when the woman started receiving calls impersonating officers from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). These fake officials falsely implicated her bank account in terrorist activities and other charges.

In an attempt to “clear her name,” she was instructed to transfer all her funds to “government beneficiary” accounts—accounts controlled by the fraudsters.

The ordeal took a horrific turn when the fraudsters compelled the woman to undress and sit in front of a camera while pretending to be police officers. They claimed they needed images of her moles and birthmarks for identification purposes.

Following this humiliation and significant financial loss, the woman bravely filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the Vimantal police station, acknowledging she had fallen victim to fraud.

The Pune police are actively investigating the incident and have filed charges of cybercrime under Section 354B of the Indian Penal Code, pertaining to the use of criminal force or assault with the intent to disrobe a woman, along with charges under the Information Technology Act.

The “drugs in parcel” scam is becoming an increasing cause for concern, with numerous incidents reported from Pune and PimpriChinchwad in recent years. This modus operandi involves using fear tactics to manipulate victims into transferring funds and impersonating law enforcement officials, including IPS officers, and international courier companies.

This incident serves as a stark warning about unsolicited phone calls and messages, especially those purporting to be related to legal matters or demanding immediate attention. Law enforcement agencies will never request financial or personal data over the phone. If you receive such a suspicious call, it’s imperative to disconnect immediately and contact the appropriate authorities directly.