For seeking to buy a Rs 13,000 dog online, a 28-year-old IT professional lost Rs 8.26 lakh to cyber scammers. On Tuesday, cybercrime sleuths in Surat city caught a Cameroon national from Bangaluru for his alleged involvement in an internet scammer operation.
Nyongabsen Hilary Sylvester Dunga (24), the accused, works as a French language translator for a private corporation. He was detained after a complaint was submitted by a 28-year-old woman working in the IT field.
“Dunga worked as a translator and, in his spare time, handled the gang’s bank account, where the money from the victims was deposited. We are trying to catch others who are involved in the web racket ” said a police officer of the Surat cybercrime police station.
Ajay Tomar, the city police commissioner, said TOI, “The victim was misled into purchasing a Golder Retriever puppy online. We ask customers to take caution when conducting financial transactions via the internet.”
According to the details of this case, the victim, a woman, was looking for a Golden Retriever puppy on the internet. She came across a website that sold pups, and when she clicked on the link, she was taken to another website where the puppy was available for Rs 13,000 (about). She was requested to fill out an online form, which she did.
The woman was contacted over WhatsApp shortly after giving her information and was instructed to transfer the funds to a bank account. After transferring Rs 13,000, the woman was informed that she would be required to pay additional funds for insurance, a breeder’s licence, and other fees.
“Trusting the seller the woman paid the money. She was promised that the additional money will be returned to her after the puppy is delivered. But the woman never got the puppy, nor did she get her money back,” said police