A number of pages on Facebook, WhatsApp forwards and even fake websites with mobile numbers that promise home delivery of alcohol have cropped up since India went under lockdown. This has prompted cyber cell officials in various states to issue advisories against dialling numbers that promise doorstep liquor delivery but become unresponsive once advance payment is made online.
Tipplers desperate for a swig — India has now entered its 34th lockdown day — seem to have encouraged criminals to cast their net wide. Initial reports of the scam had come just from metros like Gurugram and Hyderabad. Now, though, even in smaller towns like Dehradun people are losing anywhere between Rs 4,000 to Rs 8,000 each.
On Monday, TOI called up three such numbers that are in circulation on social media. The reporter was first asked the brand and type of liquor they wanted and then told to transfer 50% of the bill amount via a digital wallet.
Dehradun police said preliminary inquiry suggests the numbers are being operated by gangs in Rajasthan. But even the probe has hit lockdown hurdles. “Our teams can visit Rajasthan once the lockdown is lifted. We are spreading awareness among residents to be wary of such scams,” said Shweta Choubey, SP City, Dehradun.
India has imposed a ban on alcohol sale during the lockdown. Many countries, however, haven’t. For instance, New York — one of the worst-hit cities in the US — has listed wine stores under “essential” businesses.
The ban on alcohol sale is one reason many people who have been duped have not reported the incidents. Mohit Ahuja, an engineer from Jharkhand, said he placed an order after coming across a message on Facebook and credited a bank account with 50% of the payment. He realised he had been cheated soon enough, but did not approach police since he was aware delivery of liquor during lockdown is prohibited.
In Gurugram, the scam came to the fore when liquor vend owners registered complaints that people were using the name of their outlets to offer home delivery. Gurugram police has taken down several such pages off social media.
In Kerala — where several people have committed suicide after they were unable to lay hands on some alcohol — tech-savvy gangsters went a step ahead. They put up a fake website, complete with the official logo and other details of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation.
Police are now using social media to warn netizens. The Hyderabad cyber crime cell recently tweeted: “Dear citizens, fraudsters uploaded their mobile numbers in the name of specified wine shops. If you call them, they will assure to supply wines at your door and obtain your debit card information and may dupe you. So be aware and be cautious.”
(Inputs by Debashish Chatterjee)
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