RBI cautions public against fictitious offers

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has advised public not to fall prey to fictitious information of being beneficiary of funds such as those from winning lotteries.

This misleading information claims remittance of such funds by overseas entities to banks in the country.

Remittance in any form towards participation in lottery schemes is prohibited under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, RBI's Regional Director Jasbir Singh told reporters here today.

These fictitious offers are made through letters, e-mails, mobile phones, SMS, he said.

Singh said the fraudsters were now resorting to issue of certificates, letters, circulars sent through e-mail on letterheads that look like that of the RBI and purportedly signed by its top officials to make them appear genuine.

"The fraudsters also convince the victims by impersonating as senior officials of the RBI with telephone numbers and fictitious e-mails IDs," he said.

He said these elements were trying to take money from the gullible people under different heads such as processing fees, transaction fees, tax clearance charges, conversion charges and clearing charges.

The victims of fraud are persuaded to deposit the amount in accounts with banks in India and such amounts are immediately withdrawn, he said adding that multiple accounts were being opened in the name of individuals or proprietary concerns at different bank branches for collecting transaction charges etc.

The RBI advice came in the wake of many residents falling prey to such tempting offers and losing money.

He advised victims to register their complaints with cyber crime of police.