Categories: News/City Updates

Cybercrime in Visakhapatnam: Woman falls victim to trap by fake customs officer, loses 20 lakhs

A woman residing in Pedagantyada, Gajuwaka, experienced a distressing revelation when she discovered that a man she had developed an online friendship with had deceived her, leading to a loss of 20 lakhs. The Visakhapatnam Cybercrime Police officials stated that the woman initially befriended a man named Mike Paul Spencer on the internet, who claimed to be a doctor residing in London.

They communicated through social media initially and eventually exchanged phone numbers. In November 2022, Mike informed the woman that he would be sending her a Christmas gift from London.

Shortly thereafter, the woman received a phone call from an individual, purporting to be an International Airport customer service offer. This person informed her that a package addressed to her had arrived from London and that to claim it, she needed to pay a processing fee of Rs 27,500. Trusting Mike, the woman contacted him, and he confirmed that he had sent the gift, insisting that she pay the processing fee to secure it.

Believing his words, the woman proceeded to transfer the money to what she believed to be the customer service officer’s account. Subsequently, she received additional calls demanding larger sums of money, citing various charges such as customs clearance and air tax. Unfortunately, the woman ended up paying a total of Rs 20 lakhs before eventually realising that she had fallen victim to a scam. It was at this point that the woman filed a complaint with the Visakhapatnam Cybercrime Police, who promptly registered a case and formed teams to apprehend the perpetrators.

On 21 May 2023, a team led by cybercrime Inspector K Bhavani Prasad reached New Delhi following a tip-off related to the case. The team successfully apprehended three individuals, namely Arun Kumar Jha (48) and Chandan Kumar (26) from Uttam Nagar, New Delhi, and Rohit Kumar (32) from South West Delhi.

Bhavani Prasad stated that the primary suspect in the case is of Nigerian origin. Further investigation is currently underway to capture the main culprit, he added. The arrested individuals are being transported to Visakhapatnam under a transit warrant.

Stay tuned to Yo! Vizag website and Instagram for more city news updates.

Leave a Comment
Published by
Team Yo! Vizag

Recent Posts

Escape the heat by visiting these Hill stations near Vizag

Vizag is beautiful, but when the summer starts summering, the heat can be unbearable. Luckily,…

8 hours ago

Brilliant or bizarre? 6 AI generated movies you need to see

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence has sparked numerous debates since it became accessible to the…

9 hours ago

An indulgent feast: 5 Must-try delectable cakes in Vizag!

Cakes have been one of the ultimate solutions to gloomy days and a staple to…

10 hours ago

5 must-watch OTT releases you shouldn’t miss over the weekend!

We're bringing another week of March to a resounding close. Ending it on a bang…

11 hours ago

If you’re in Visakhapatnam, there’s no better time than now to do these 6 things

If you love trying new things and adding exciting experiences to your bucket list, you…

13 hours ago

Heatwave alert issued for Visakhapatnam as dry weather prevails

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Amaravati has reported that Andhra Pradesh's coastal regions, Rayalaseema,…

14 hours ago