Mumbai: A 53-year doctor who is a single mother was targeted by a scammer who build an emotional tie-up with the doctor only to dupe the doctor of Rs.28 Lakhs. The scammer posing as an Irish surgical oncologist and plastic surgeon got connected with the doctor through LinkedIn. The scammer who introduced himself as Jose Fernandes alias Santino, claimed to be a divorced and father of seven year old child, which resonated with the victim doctor own experience as a single parent. The scammer regularly interacted with the victim doctor for the next 11 months online generally through WhatsApp chat.
After months of building trust the scammer called the victim doctor and informed her that he has been detained by the Delhi Customs for possessing undeclared foreign currency worth Rs. 8 Lakhs. To substantiate his claim, one of the associate of the scammer posing as Custom officer contacted the victim doctor and told the victim doctor of the emergency situation in which his friend Santino has landed. In a bid to save her newfound friend he doctor transferred Rs.28 Lakhs to various accounts as requested by the scammer and his associate. The victim doctor realized the scam only after she has exhausted all her hard earn money after which she approached the police. The scam is under investigation by the police.
