Hyderabad, July 15: An incident of online fraud has been reported from Hyderabad where a couple looking online to sell their kidneys, was duped of Rs 40 lakh. Reports inform that the couple had decided to sell off their kidneys to clear the debt. According to a report by TOI, the couple was allegedly duped by fraudsters posing as UK-based facilitators for organ sale. The victims identified as M Venkatesh and Lavanya hail from Khairatabad. They run a stationery shop there and earn their livelihood. The report informs that the couple recently took a loan from financial institutions for the construction of a four-storey building at Katedan. OTP Fraud: UP Businessman in Hyderabad Orders Liquor Online, Duped of Rs 70,000.

As their business was hit due to lockdown, there was no significant income. The situation forced them to borrow money for house construction, which gradually touched Rs 1.5 crore. As per details by the assistant commissioner of police (ACP), cybercrime, KVM Prasad, the couple thought of selling their kidneys and looked for prospective buyers on the internet in order to clear the debts. Uttar Pradesh Woman Duped of Rs 2 Lakh by Online Friend on Pretext of Sex Reassignment Surgery.

The official informed that in March 2021, the couple looked for a kidney donor online and sent a message to a fraudster. The couple got the fraudster's number on the internet. Posing as an employee of a hospital in the UK, the fraudster offered Rs 5 crore for kidney donors and lured them. The TOI report informs that the accused made the victim deposit Rs 26 lakh in various bank accounts on the pretext of registration charges, processing fee, currency exchange charges, visa fee, and several other things.

The fraudster also sent a webpage link that had RBI’s logo and fake account showing money transferred by him as an advance payment. To convince the couple, the fraudster made the victims meet an associate of his at a lodge in Bengaluru. The couple met an African national who showed them a suitcase that had black papers of the size of currency notes. He wiped some of the black notes using an unknown chemical and turned them into Rs 2,000 notes. The accused made the victims transfer Rs 14 lakh more promising them the supply of the chemical that can turn the bag full of black notes into Rs 2000 notes.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 15, 2021 06:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).