CHANDIGARH — A city-based pharmacist fell victim to a sophisticated online scam and lost ₹60.65 lakh to fraudsters posing as international pharmaceutical buyers. The Cyber Cell of the UT police has registered a case and initiated an investigation to trace the culprits behind the elaborate scheme.
Sunil Kumar, a resident of Block Number 13 in Sector 32, alleged in his complaint that he was tricked by individuals claiming to represent Actelion Laboratory, a reputed pharmaceutical company in the United States. The scam began in September 2024 and involved multiple layers of deceit, including forged documents, fake supplier networks, and fraudulent payment demands.
According to the complaint, Sunil was contacted on September 25, 2024, by a Facebook user named Morris Pauline, who introduced a lucrative opportunity to supply large quantities of Avastin powder, a high-value pharmaceutical product. Communication continued on WhatsApp and via email from actelionpharma01@yahoo.com, which requested a monthly supply of 300 kilograms of the drug.
Pauline referred Sunil to Sharma Enterprises, an Indore-based supplier, quoting a price of ₹99,000 per kg. Believing the deal to be genuine, Sunil coordinated with suppliers and logistics firms to fulfill the order. He received confirmation of the rate and testing quantity from someone claiming to be Dr Sarkis Serge Messerlian, the alleged CEO of Actelion Laboratory.
Sunil made an initial payment of ₹13 lakh to Sharma Enterprises for 50 kg of Avastin powder. Shortly after, the supplier demanded another ₹10 lakh, citing transport issues. Sunil transferred an additional ₹3.5 lakh to facilitate delivery.
Further, he paid ₹92,552 to Motion Cargo International, which issued an invoice for the shipment of 50 packets. In separate transactions, Sunil transferred ₹12 lakh to two Navi Mumbai-based accounts associated with the shipment, followed by several other payments. In total, ₹28.5 lakh went to Sharma Enterprises and ₹1.86 lakh to Motion Cargo International.
On October 6, 2024, Sharma Enterprises shared contact details for a supposed USFDA certification agent. Sunil was asked to pay ₹34.15 lakh to obtain an authenticity certificate, which he received on November 26. Days later, “Dr Messerlian” confirmed receipt and advised Sunil to open an offshore account for payments.
Acting on this advice, Sunil paid $10,000 (approximately ₹8.3 lakh) as an account opening fee, followed by ₹9.68 lakh for an IMF referral code and an additional $4,000 to the so-called International Monetary Fund.
By the end of the ordeal, Sunil had transferred a staggering ₹60.65 lakh across various accounts, without receiving any payment in return. Communication with all parties abruptly ceased soon after.
Realizing he had been defrauded, Sunil approached the Cyber Crime Police Station. The UT Police have registered an FIR against unknown individuals and are actively tracing the financial trail to identify the perpetrators. Investigators are examining bank records, IP addresses, and transaction logs to track the fraud network.
Authorities have once again urged the public to remain vigilant against online business offers that seem too good to be true, especially those involving large international transactions conducted over unverified digital channels.
