A 27-year-old government employee from Hyderabad lost ₹2,05,500 after falling for a WhatsApp scam where a fraudster posed as a friend struck at the Delhi airport.
On May 22, the victim received a WhatsApp message from a UK number, claiming to be a friend of his friend who is studying in London. “When the victim tried calling his friend, the call did not go through. Later, the fraudster called and mimicked the friend’s voice, saying he was flying to Hyderabad from London,” said an officer from the Hyderabad Cyber Crimes police.
The fraudster called again claiming he had been detained at Delhi airport by Income Tax officials over foreign currency issues. The victim then received another call, this time from an Indian number. The caller claimed to be an Income Tax officer and said the victim’s friend needed to pay ₹55,500 as clearance and tax charges. A fake certificate supposedly signed by officials from Indian Customs and Tax Services was shared to make the demand look legitimate.
Believing the situation was real, the victim transferred the money. A second demand followed for ₹1.50 lakh, which the victim also paid. When the fraudster asked for another ₹3.50 lakh, the victim grew suspicious and realised he had been scammed. He then lodged an online complaint.
Authorities clarified that no government agency demands payments over phone or WhatsApp and advised victims of cyber fraud to immediately dial 1930 or visit cybercrime.gov.in. In Hyderabad, citizens can also contact or WhatsApp 8712665171 for assistance.
Published – June 12, 2025 05:49 pm IST
