Fake celebrity foundations cheat people in guise of helping poor
In September last year, the Cyberabad police received a complaint from a man who had been cheated to the tune of Rs. 60,000 while trying to seek financial help online.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 8 March 2021 2:55 PM GMT
Hyderabad: The Cyberabad police station has recently received several complaints from people who were cheated by fraudsters who promise to help the poor and provide financial assistance to them. According to the police, people who are in need of financial aid are searching Google, Twitter, and Facebook and contacting fake foundations that claim to help the poor.
In September last year, the Cyberabad police received a complaint from a man who had been cheated to the tune of Rs. 60,000 while trying to seek financial help online. After hearing that actor Sonu Sood was helping the poor, the complainant searched Google for Sonu Sood's foundation and found a mobile number. He called the said number and a Pankaj Singh Bhadauria answered. The victim sought financial aid of Rs. 10,000. Bhadauria asked him for his Aadhar card and bank account details and the latter shared them with him.
After that, the victim received a call saying Sonu Sood had inquired about his family and had agreed to give him Rs. 50,000. However, the victim first had to pay Rs. 8,300 for registration to receive the amount. Later, he was told that the aid amount had been increased to Rs. 3,60,000 and he was asked to pay various amounts, coming up to a total of Rs. 60,000, for various things. Even after paying the amount, the fraudsters asked for more money and the victim paid Rs. 7,900 to complete the process. It was then that he realized he had been cheated. He approached the police and a case was registered.
The police said the fraudsters are creating fake profiles and accounts in the name of celebrities and organizations, claiming to help the poor people. When a person contacts them, they create a make-believe situation by giving fake details and offer attractive benefits. Then they trap the victim and defraud him in the name of various fees and charges.
The Cyberabad police issued an advisory advising people not to believe messages or calls from celebrities or organizations claiming to help the poor people. Do not transfer money to an unknown person's accounts and do not scan any QR Code to transfer money without first verifying its authenticity, the police said. They further said that NGOs that help the poor will never ask people seeking help to deposit money for any purpose.
