Rs 57.3 lakh lost in cyber fraud using UN refugee agency’s name

Mangaluru: A 44-year-old woman was allegedly cheated of Rs 57.3 lakh by two unidentified persons who posed as representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and promised to buy fire extinguishers from her business.According to the complaint, the fraud began in Feb when a man identifying himself as Nithesh Kumar contacted the complainant’s husband over WhatsApp from an international number. Speaking in Tulu, he claimed to be calling from Nairobi, Kenya, and said he worked for the UNHCR and was originally from Kaup in Udupi.He told the complainant’s husband that the organisation was interested in purchasing fire extinguishers sold by them. He then asked him to speak to his superior, Rajaguru Reddiar, to proceed with the proposed business deal.The following day, Reddiar contacted the complainant’s husband over WhatsApp and said the organisation would place a purchase order once a quotation was submitted. After several days of discussions, he allegedly told them that under Kenyan regulations, they needed to obtain a registration certificate, an anti-money laundering certificate, an International Monetary Fund certificate and a Financial Intelligence Authority certificate. He also demanded money towards insurance and bank storage charges.Reddiar reportedly claimed that he had people who could arrange the certificates quickly if the complainant transferred the required amount, enabling the business transaction to proceed without delay.Trusting his claims, the complainant allegedly transferred a total of Rs 57,31,175 from her bank accounts to accounts provided by Reddiar through RTGS, NEFT, IMPS and SWIFT transactions between Feb 23 and June 29..After receiving the money, Reddiar allegedly contacted her again and demanded further payments. This raised her suspicions, and she asked both men to refund the amount. However, they allegedly gave various excuses and eventually stopped answering her calls.A case has been registered at the CEN crime police station.Stay updated with the latest Mangaluru news. Download the TOI App.