NRI loses Rs 37,000 in TTD email scam

Tirupati: In a sophisticated case of digital impersonation, an unidentified cyber criminal successfully defrauded a Non-Resident Indian devotee of ₹37,000 through a fake email ID of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams executive officer.

The incident has prompted a formal police investigation in Tirupati after the temple administration discovered the breach. According to Tirupati East Inspector Srinivasulu, the fraudster created a deceptive email account designed to closely mimic the official communication channel of the TTD Executive Officer.The criminal then targeted Venkata Prasad, an NRI devotee, with an email requesting immediate financial assistance.

The fraudulent message claimed the funds were urgently required to purchase sacred Prasadams for a proposed Srinivasa Kalyanam program in Johannesburg, South Africa.Trusting the prestigious authority of the TTD and motivated by the religious nature of the request, Prasad fell victim to the trap and transferred the requested ₹37,000 to the conman.The scam came to light when the victim reached out to the TTD and subsequently, TTD Assistant Vigilance and Security Officer Gadiraju Chandra lodged a formal complaint at the Tirupati East Police Station.

Law enforcement officials have registered a criminal case under the Information Technology Act and relevant sections of the BNS Act. Cybercrime investigators are currently tracking the digital footprints of the fake email account and analysing the transaction details of the beneficiary bank account to identify and apprehend the perpetrator.