Online fraudsters used the name of a medical practitioner from Bengaluru for a fake kidney trading website, which is allegedly duping gullible public in the name of offering cash for selling the vital organ. An FIR was registered at North East CEN police station on August 11.
In the complaint, the doctor claimed that her name was mentioned on the website to make it look like she is running a ‘kidney transplant centre’. The doctor, who practises gynaecology, claimed that the development has brought disrepute to her name. Her husband is also a medical practitioner. The website was up and running when The Hindu accessed the link mentioned in the FIR.
The website, titled ‘kidney transplant centre’, states: “Are you in need of money? Sell your kidney today to get ₹6 crore. Contact (doctor’s name). We buy one kidney for ₹6 crore Indian Rupees ($824,000 U.S. Dollars). You can sell one of your kidneys and still lead a normal life. After the surgery, you will be healthy and strong. The operation is 100% guaranteed and successful.
“We pay 50% (₹3 crore Indian Rupees) after the registration and the remaining (₹3 crore Indian Rupees) will be paid immediately after surgery.”
The website has not furnished an office address, but has posted a WhatsApp number. The WhatsApp number leads to a chatbox (business account). A regular call cannot be made to this number as incoming calls are barred.
The website further stated: “Modelling excellence through attention to detail and a focus on quality care, problem-solving and teamwork. A community of people dedicated to transforming the patient and family experience through innovative and collaborative approaches to care, knowledge and leadership.”
This claim is followed by the doctor ‘s name.
A cyber expert said criminals use names of genuine doctors because the name of website is shown in search results when people search for the doctors. This leads people to believe that the website is genuine. The fraudulent website may have been created solely to steal money on the pretext of kidney business.
Experts also said that such websites ask people, who show interest, to pay some amount as fees. To those who pay, the criminals continue asking for more money until either the visitor runs out of money or realises that they have been cheated. If any doctor or any other person learns that their name is being misused, they should immediately file a complaint with the police, they said.
