Hyderabad: A Mumbai-based, five-member gang run by Nigerian nationals fleeced a businessman from LB Nagar by promising to sell him a BMW car imported from the US. The fraudsters, claiming to be US consulate officials, put up a car sale advertisement on quikr.com and convinced the victim, Sheik Jeelani Basha, by sending him customs receipts, etc.
A Mumbai-based woman and a West Godavari native, a part of the gang, posed as Mumbai custom officials and took lakhs of rupees from him.
Cybercrime sleuths of Cyberabad have busted the gang in Mumbai, which is suspected to be involved in a Nigerian lottery scam, RBI scam and other fraudulent activities.
The accused have been identified as Talla Mojesh alias Venkat, a native of West Godavari and currently settled in Mumbai; Pascal Emmanuel alias George Frideric, 34; Paul Osemweigie, 43; Oluikpe Sunday Onyegbula, 29; and Sajida Abdul Hamid, a Mumbai native.
Cyberabad Additional DCP of Crime B. Srinivas Reddy revealed that the fraudsters had looted Rs 18.63 lakh as car price, demurrage charges, other customs clearance charges, etc.
The woman member in the gang, Sajida, pretending as a customs official, contacted the victim frequently over phone and made him deposit money in various bank accounts.
The businessman, Mr Shaik Jeelani Basha, who runs a building and interior designing firm, jumped at the opportunity of buying the car priced at Rs 14 lakh on the online platform, as the rate appeared lower.
“After Mr Basha responded to the online ad, Emmanuel contacted him, introducing himself as a Dr George Frideric, working with the US consulate and wanting to sell his car as he was leaving for the US soon. After clinching the deal, he asked the victim to deposit Rs 1.5 lakh in a bank account as demurrage charges and sent some fake receipts in return.
As the victim got convinced, other gang members, pretending to be customs officials, made him deposit more money in various accounts, citing different charges,” said Mr Srinivas Reddy.
Basha realised he was being duped as the crooks demanded more money even after he had shelled out the car’s price. He approached the police and lodged a complaint.
