Chandigarh, June 13 – A lucrative overseas deal to export cancer medication turned into an elaborate online scam, costing a Chandigarh-based businessman ₹60.65 lakh. The victim, Sunil Kumar, a resident of Sector 32-C, was allegedly tricked by fraudsters posing as representatives of a US pharmaceutical firm into supplying large quantities of Avastin Powder, a cancer drug.
According to the complaint lodged with the cyber crime cell, Sunil was initially contacted via Facebook by one Morris Pauline. The individual introduced himself as a facilitator for Actelion Laboratory, allegedly based in the United States, and proposed a high-volume export deal of 300 to 500 kg of Avastin Powder monthly.
“The proposal seemed legitimate. Official-looking emails were sent from actelionpharma01@yahoo.com and further discussions took place over WhatsApp,” Sunil told investigators. He was directed to procure the medicine from a company named Sharma Enterprises, purportedly located in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Trusting the operation, Sunil made his first payment of ₹13 lakh for a 50 kg consignment. However, the fraud began to unravel through a sequence of meticulously crafted roadblocks. He was informed that the delivery truck had met with an accident, and he needed to pay ₹10 lakh more to handle logistics. Soon after, an additional ₹3.5 lakh was demanded.
The deception deepened when the fraudsters presented a fabricated requirement: a US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) certificate, supposedly necessary for international shipments. An individual posing as a regulatory official contacted Sunil and demanded ₹34.15 lakh to issue the certificate. A forged certificate was subsequently emailed to him on October 26, 2024.
In what proved to be the final blow, Sunil was asked to deposit further amounts to open an offshore account and process payments. He paid $10,000 (approximately ₹9.68 lakh) for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) referral code and another $4,000 for an alleged deposit fee. In total, he ended up transferring ₹60.65 lakh to multiple accounts.
“Each demand was backed by convincing documentation and communication,” said an official from the Cyber Crime Cell. “Only after the payments kept escalating with no returns did the complainant realise the scale of the fraud.”
Once aware of the scam, Sunil filed a detailed report with Chandigarh’s cyber crime unit, triggering an investigation. Authorities are now tracking the bank accounts involved and the digital trail left by the imposters.
Officials have flagged this as a textbook case of cyber fraud exploiting global trade aspirations. “Fraudsters are now using advanced techniques, including cloned email addresses, social media profiling, and fake regulatory documents, to appear credible,” a senior cyber official said. “This case shows how fraud has evolved to involve multiple platforms and sophisticated impersonation.”
So far, no arrests have been made, but investigators say they are coordinating with financial institutions and cyber cells in other states to trace the beneficiaries of the fraudulent transactions.
Cyber experts have urged the public to exercise extreme caution while dealing with overseas proposals that require upfront payments or unverifiable contacts. “Any deal demanding large sums before delivery or profit should be double-checked with legal and trade authorities,” the official added.
As the probe continues, Sunil Kumar has joined a growing list of Indian entrepreneurs and exporters who have fallen prey to cross-border digital fraud.
