Bhubaneswar: Cyber fraudsters duped a government employee of more than Rs 1 lakh on the pretext of providing lottery money. The victim, Giri Raj Derji, 42, has been staying at the staff quarters of Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), a reputed central government-owned scientific institute, here at Acharya Vihar area under Sahidnagar police limits.
As per sources, the victim used to buy Ayurvedic medicines regularly online from one website, ‘extreme pleasure shopping’, for her ailing sister who was suffering from arthritis from 2015 to 2018. On 29 July, he received a message on his mobile phone in the name of the shopping website. The message informed Giri Raj that he has won a lottery prize of Rs 8.5 lakhs organised by the company.
The cyber crooks also informed him about winning the lottery and the process to fetch the prize money. Subsequently, they asked him to deposit different amounts of money on the pretext of registration fees, late fine, transfer charges, TDS charges. Accordingly, Giri Raj deposited Rs 1, 63,300 through eight different installments in the account given by the miscreants.
Later, the accused again asked him to deposit another 18 per cent GST charges to get TATA Nexon Car or cash Rs 8.5 lakh under the lottery scheme. However, Giri Raj, smelling a rat, lodged a complaint with Sahid Nagar police. Police have started investigations into the matter after registering a case based on the complaint.
