On May 5 last year, Gurugram resident Umesh Gupta filed a complaint with the station house officer (SHO), Sadar Thana. When his Covid positive cousin's oxygen saturation had started plummeting, he searched online for oxygen cylinders. That is when he got a WhatsApp forward about a 'Mr S. Dasgupta' who was selling cylinders. On May 1, after speaking to him a couple of times, Umesh advanced ₹11,000 to Dasgupta's SBI account. The deal was that the cylinder would reach him within two hours of the advance being credited. But no cylinder was delivered. Umesh called Dasgupta several times, only to be brushed off with vague explanations. The next day, Dasgupta called and demanded another ₹12,000. A suspicious Umesh got a few of his friends to call Dasgupta for cylinders. Each time, Dasgupta would give different account numbers under different names. He also stopped picking up Umesh's calls.
When the SHO took no action, Umesh got an attorney at the Gurugram district court to appeal to the the cyber cell. The cyber cell ignored it, until the attorney moved court. A few weeks later, the judge asked the cyber cell for a status update. The person from the cyber cell was very rude, says Umesh. He seemed unhappy to register my complaint. Right now, I am not pursuing the case to get my money back. I just want to make sure no one else gets cheated by these people.
Umesh's case is not an isolated one. Fraudsters are dime a dozen, offering everything from free coaching classes, online discount coupons and Rs20 lacs loan in just few clicks. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, cybercrimes jumped by almost 84 per cent in two years from 27,248 in 2018 to 50,035 in 2020.
Esta historia es de la edición July 03, 2022 de THE WEEK India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición July 03, 2022 de THE WEEK India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
There Is A Wind Blowing Against The BJP, And It Will Only Pick Up Speed
Interview - Akhilesh Yadav, Former Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh
Between hospital and home
Transitional care centres can add a lot to India's health care system
EFFORT VS EFFECT
The government's attempts to ensure quality drugs is evident, but how well new policies can be monitored on the ground remains to be seen
A way to let go of fear
Accepting the use of adult diapers is a journey with various stages-denial, concealment, rejection and reluctance
Mandeeps & a miracle
Two strangers, one deadly disease and an act of kindness. How Mandeep Mann saved Mandeep Singh, an acute leukaemia patient, by donating his stem cells
The A, B, C of cosmetic surgery
Between eight to 10 lakh cosmetic surgeries happen in India every year. Who is an ideal candidate, and what are the risks and results you can expect?
Vaccines and meningitis
In sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and encompassing the northern part of Nigeria, there exists a region known as the African Meningitis Belt (AMB).
Celebrating diversity and inclusivity
As Indians battle it out in our nation's 18th general election, it is again time for voters to reflect on the \"Idea of India\"-or rather, on two duelling ideas of India that are now before us and between which the nation must choose at the ballot box.
Defendant: an Hermès handbag
When Hermès was hit with a class-action lawsuit last month for \"antitrust\" activities, it didn't see it coming. Most of the luxury world has all eyes on this suit, filed by two interested consumers who claim they were denied a purchase, and whether it would go to trial.
A legacy, bound
Amal Allana's biography of her father, Ebrahim Alkazi, is as much personal as it is historical
