BALURGHAT: In a case of cyber fraud, a local tailor, Suman Saha, lost nearly Rs 57,000 after falling victim to a scam.
The fraudsters, posing as an Army personnel, convinced him to accept a bulk order for churidars and blouses,
only to siphon off the money using online payment manipulation.
Suman Saha, a resident of Sanket Para, Balurghat, owns a tailoring shop at Dunlop More. On Wednesday evening, he received a call from an unknown number.
The caller claimed to be an Indian Army officer and requested 50 churidars and blouses for a military retirement event. Initially sceptical, Suman’s doubts were eased when he received a video call showing a man in an Army uniform.
To make the deal seem legitimate, the fraudsters sent a military ID via WhatsApp and praised Suman’s tailoring skills.
They asked for a price quotation, which he provided. Soon, they demanded his bank details to transfer an advance payment. Upon providing the details, he was informed that the transaction was unsuccessful and was asked for another UPI number.
Suman then shared a fellow shopkeeper’s number. Instead of receiving money, Rs 57,000 was debited in two transactions.
When Suman realised the fraud, he threatened to report them but the fraudsters immediately
blocked his number. He has since filed a complaint with the South Dinajpur Cyber Crime Police.
“I had only Rs 1,900 in my account, so I gave my neighbour’s UPI ID. The scammers took the money in two phases. I urge the police to investigate and recover the amount,” Suman said.