The arrest was made based on a complaint filed by Dr. SM Manikandan, 26, who works at a private hospital. According to police, Dr. Manikandan received a call last month claiming that an LPG cylinder had been delivered to his home. The caller asked him to pay Rs 950 via digital payment. Believing the caller, Dr. Manikandan transferred the amount. However, he later discovered that no cylinder had been delivered. When he tried to contact the caller again, the number was unreachable.
Following the complaint lodged in the first week of May, a cybercrime team led by ADSP S. Namasivayam and Inspector V. Madheswari traced and arrested Perumal. Investigations revealed that Perumal had used a similar method to cheat people in various districts, including Ariyalur, Avadi, Dharmapuri, Salem, and Krishnagiri. In total, he is estimated to have collected around Rs 20,000 from unsuspecting victims.
Police said Perumal obtained phone numbers from a job portal and made random calls. He targeted people by pretending to be an LPG delivery agent. Although a relative of Perumal works as an actual LPG delivery agent, he was not involved in the crime.
Some victims had already filed complaints in their respective districts. Perumal was remanded in custody on Sunday night.
The cybercrime police have advised the public to verify the identity of callers before making any payments. They also urged people to report suspicious calls to the cybercrime helpline number 1930.
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Cybercrime in India
