Cyber fraudsters prey on medicos exploiting poor vigil

Police officers who recently investigated some major online financial frauds in Kozhikode city have flagged the need for improved awareness on the part of medical professionals, especially doctors, who reportedly emerge as the most vulnerable group being targeted by scammers. In just two weeks, two major complaints surfaced in which two doctors together lost around ₹4.1 crore.

Though some of the targeted persons have managed to identify the trickery and report it to the police in time, many are unaware of the challenge and do not equip themselves to fight the crime. The police also suspect attempts on the part of a few to cover up such incidents fearing humiliation and possible follow-up investigations.

It was the recently surfaced ‘digital arrest’ trickery that drained the bank account of one of the complainants in the city. Fraudsters, who pretended as enforcement officers, accused the doctor of money laundering and initiated digital arrest procedures on video call. The doctor was reportedly forced to transfer ₹2 lakh in different instalments to compound the alleged offence.

Later, the doctor, who lost the money, came up with a social media post explaining the harrowing experience and the way scammers created a real interrogation feel.

In the second incident, the complainant was a 67-year-old physician who lost ₹4.08 crore. According to officers from the Kozhikode cyber station, fraudsters who came in contact with the complainant on social media collected donations from him in the name of charity multiple times.

“Many a time, fraudsters have been found using telephone numbers and other data accessed from various public domains and social media profiles to zero in on their prey. A contact number collected from the Internet and a few personal details shared on social media would be sufficient to trap any individual who is not aware of the nature of modern cybercrimes,” said a senior civil police officer at the Kozhikode cyber police station. Officers associated with cybercrime investigation said they had organised awareness sessions for doctors with the support of the Indian Medical Association. However, the participation of doctors in such events was unsatisfactory owing to the nature of their demanding job, they added.