The FedEx Courier Scam: Inside a Multi-Crore Cyber Heist

A 72-year-old retired engineer was swindled out of Rs 4.67 crore in a FedEx courier scam. Police arrested a 13-member gang involved in the operation, which used hawala and cryptocurrencies to move the funds. The victim was coerced under 'digital arrest' to transfer money.

A sophisticated FedEx courier scam has left a 72-year-old retired engineer from Abiramapuram defrauded of Rs 4.67 crore. The police disclosed on Thursday that a 13-member gang responsible for the heist has been apprehended.

The elaborate scheme involved using 'digital arrest' to intimidate the elderly victim into transferring funds. He was informed falsely of a seized parcel allegedly containing illegal items and was threatened with a cyber crime investigation in Mumbai, coercing his compliance.

Authorities revealed that the gang channeled the ill-gotten gains through hawala routes to foreign entities and converted them into cryptocurrencies. Special cyber crime units recovered Rs 53 lakh in cash and technological devices from the accused, now in custody at Puzhal Central Prison.

(With inputs from agencies.)