Various types of 2.0 schemes are set up by cyber crooks to steal money from their targets. Cases of digital fraud are becoming frequent in different police stations as well as in the Cyber Crime Unit of the CCID. These “serial scammers” cheat their victims who favor online purchases.
Sale of iPhone on Instagram: “Mega Apple Store Service” denounced
A computer scientist, employed in a bank, was the victim of an alleged case of fraud. This young woman aged 19 wanted to purchase an iPhone 13 Pro Max brand cell phone. It was while surfing Instagram that she was attracted by advertisements posted on a page titled “Mega Apple Store Service”. She contacted the person using this profile to express interest in this device. The price displayed was Rs 20,000. One of the conditions imposed by the seller was that the customer had to make part of the payment in advance: “I had already paid the sum of Rs 9,500 via Juice and it was agreed that I pay the remaining amount at the time of delivery,” indicates this young woman. The latter specifies that in the end, she remained waiting for the delivery of this phone and that she never obtained it. She tried repeatedly to contact the seller, but he was unreachable. Realizing that she had been fooled by this pseudo phone seller, the victim filed a complaint at the Central Criminal Investigation Department (CCID) as well as at the Bambous police station on Tuesday, May 21.
A few months earlier, last February, another victim of “Mega Apple Store Service” on Instagram came forward to the police. Employed in an insurance firm, this mother wanted to give her son a birthday present. On Instagram, she visited the online store “Mega Apple Store Service” which offered the sale of black iPhone 12 worth Rs 14,500. She got in touch with the seller who used the same modus operandi: “ I messaged the seller and he asked me to pay half of the full amount. The same day, I made the transfer via Juice,” says this customer. She makes a first payment of Rs 7,250. But as she wanted to get the phone delivered the same day, the seller asked her to pay the entire payment. But subsequently, this customer also faced a situation experienced by many customers who are victims of well-crafted scam schemes on the Web: “On numerous occasions, I have contacted this seller in order to have my delivery , but I was blocked,” complained this disillusioned victim.
Believing to receive a donation of Rs 100,000, she is defrauded: Questioned, the suspect claims that her account has been hacked
A 47-year-old resident of the North had believed in the promises of a stranger on Facebook and WhatsApp, who had promised her a donation of Rs 100,000. Unable to imagine that she was dealing with a scammer, this woman had seen a opportunity with a view to obtaining a reward: “It’s a good idea to get information,” the victim told Défi Plus. The facts date from July 29, 2023. Naïve, this Internet user complied with the requests of her correspondent: “Linn demann mwa photo mo kart idantite, mo nimero kont la bank ek linn persiste pou ki mo donn li mo kod ATM”, says -she in her story.
On August 1, 2023, she gives her password to her correspondent. “Instead of receiving the donation of Rs 100,000, the sum of Rs 8,500 which was in my account was debited.” At the time, she filed a complaint at the Plaine des Papayes police station.
Multiple withdrawals
Finally, it was on May 19 that the Criminal Investigation Division of Pamplemousses was able to trace the suspect, a young man aged 22 from Terre-Rouge. This, after the police had confirmation of suspicious money entries into his bank account. Questioned by Inspector Seepersand's men, this suspect rejected any knowledge of this case of money theft to the detriment of this victim. He gave investigators his bank account statement where he emphasizes that several withdrawals were made from his account without his knowledge. “I am sure my bank account was hacked,” explains the suspect who, after his interrogation, was allowed to return home. The police investigation is continuing.
Plucked while wanting to buy a sewing machine
It was while browsing the Web that a 45-year-old man from the north of the island came across an ad offering the sale of industrial sewing machines. Very quickly, he contacted the seller who asked him to make a payment of Rs 5,000 via the Juice application. Once payment has been made, the customer claims that the seller has broken off all communication with him.
On May 18, sleuths from the Pamplemousses Criminal Investigation Division arrested a man named Aftaab, aged 21, from Vallée des Prêtres. Confronted with this case of electronic fraud, he confessed to being the author of this case of fraud. He remains in police custody. On Tuesday, May 21, a second suspect, Zubair B., from Caro Lalo, Vallée des Priêtres, was also taken in by the criminal police. He confessed to having obtained a sum of money from the suspect Aftaab, resulting from this theft case. This duo is being held in police custody.
Similar situation for a resident of Roche-Brunes who, on Saturday May 4, came across an ad on Facebook from a man named “Mo D.” who was selling her kitchen shelves. After contacting the seller, the customer paid the entire payment amounting to Rs 1,500 the next day. “He promised me that my order would be delivered on May 11, but he never came,” laments the victim, who filed a complaint at the Camp Levieux police station on May 17. She gave the police a copy of her bank statements in order to trace the criminal 2.0.
