Lucknow: A govt school teacher in Rae Bareli was duped of Rs 26.25 lakh by cyber fraudsters who posed as customs officials and threatened her with arrest and sacking from job over a parcel in her name from Spain.Acting on SP’s directions, police have registered an FIR against 13 unidentified persons, including the woman who allegedly made the initial call, on charges of cheating and criminal intimidation.The victim is a resident of Rae Bareli city.According to her complaint, she received a call from an unknown number on Sept 25. The woman on the other end claimed that a parcel addressed to the teacher had arrived from Spain and had been intercepted by the Customs Department after officials discovered $250,000 inside it.The caller told the teacher that she would have to pay Rs 35 lakh to “settle” the matter. She was threatened with the loss of her job, registration of a criminal case and imprisonment if she failed to comply.Fearing the consequences of the threats, the teacher transferred money into bank accounts specified by the fraudsters. The transactions were carried out on different dates through cheques, Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and online payment methods.The teacher subsequently realised that she had been duped and approached the police to report the incident.Circle Officer Sadar Ashish Nigam said an FIR had been registered against 13 unidentified persons.
