Warn citizens of online fraud: HC to cell service providers
Expressing concern over
increasing online lottery fraud, the Bombay high court on Wednesday
directed all mobile service providers to issue messages cautioning
citizens against falling for such messages and emails. The court
also directed the Maharashtra government to conduct a thorough
investigation with the help of the cyber crime department and even
Interpol, if needed, to “ensure that such type of cyber crimes do not
take place again“. The state was also asked to create awareness,
including by putting out advertisements, “asking citizens to be cautious
of such messages and emails“.
Among its public welfare directions was one for banks too; they have been asked to ensure that Know Your Customer guidelines are followed.
“It is common knowledge that such messages and emails are received by a number of people,“ said a division bench of Justices V M Kanade and Anuja Prabhudessai.
The court was hearing a plea by Nashik farmer Namdeo Warade, 47, for an order for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe how he was cheated of Rs 29 lakh. On September 15, 2010 , Warade received a message on his phone saying he had won $5 lakh at a purported Coca-Cola competition held in London and asked to contact an email address.
He wrote right away , seeking further details. The same day , he got a reply saying “this promotion is the financial empowerment programme of Coca-Cola in its struggle to alleviate poverty among society“. He was told his prize had been deposited in a UK bank and would be transferred to the Reserve Bank of India.
Warade was instructed to open an account with online operations to facilitate release of the money .Then, using either the RBI as an excuse or on some pretext or the other, he was asked to pay up. On January 1, 2011, he was asked to pay more money . The reason: somebody else had put a claim on the prize.
After he paid up, the phones of the fraudsters he was talking to were unreachable and his emails went unanswered. His petition said he collected the money they had sought by selling his house and his wife's jewellery , and borrowing from relatives and even from the market at high interest. His total loss was “over Rs 45-50 lakh“, Warade said.
The public prosecutor said one person has been arrested after local police investigated the case, but 15 others are absconding. The judges issued the directions for creating more awareness and for a crackdown on such fraud, but told Warade that since the chargesheet in his case has been filed, transfer of the probe to the CBI was not possible.
Among its public welfare directions was one for banks too; they have been asked to ensure that Know Your Customer guidelines are followed.
“It is common knowledge that such messages and emails are received by a number of people,“ said a division bench of Justices V M Kanade and Anuja Prabhudessai.
The court was hearing a plea by Nashik farmer Namdeo Warade, 47, for an order for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe how he was cheated of Rs 29 lakh. On September 15, 2010 , Warade received a message on his phone saying he had won $5 lakh at a purported Coca-Cola competition held in London and asked to contact an email address.
He wrote right away , seeking further details. The same day , he got a reply saying “this promotion is the financial empowerment programme of Coca-Cola in its struggle to alleviate poverty among society“. He was told his prize had been deposited in a UK bank and would be transferred to the Reserve Bank of India.
Warade was instructed to open an account with online operations to facilitate release of the money .Then, using either the RBI as an excuse or on some pretext or the other, he was asked to pay up. On January 1, 2011, he was asked to pay more money . The reason: somebody else had put a claim on the prize.
After he paid up, the phones of the fraudsters he was talking to were unreachable and his emails went unanswered. His petition said he collected the money they had sought by selling his house and his wife's jewellery , and borrowing from relatives and even from the market at high interest. His total loss was “over Rs 45-50 lakh“, Warade said.
The public prosecutor said one person has been arrested after local police investigated the case, but 15 others are absconding. The judges issued the directions for creating more awareness and for a crackdown on such fraud, but told Warade that since the chargesheet in his case has been filed, transfer of the probe to the CBI was not possible.
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