CB! alerts states against online scams, fake san!tisers

[kidney]

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has issued alerts to states and Union territories based on the inputs received from Interpol relating to online advance payment scams and use of methanol for producing fake hand sanitisers.

The CBI has issued an alert regarding the proliferation of online advance payment scams involving instances of criminals approaching as vendors of Personal protective equipment (PPE), among other protective equipment supplies related to Covid-19 pandemic, and initiating online business transactions with clients. 

In such cases, after the receipt of the payment via bank transfers, the fraudulent vendors do not make any delivery of items.

The top investigative body also issued an alert based on Interpol inputs on instances of the use of methanol for preparing spurious hand sanitisers.

Many incidents have been reported in other countries wherein, due to a huge demand for hand sanitisers during the Covid-19 pandemic, the use of methanol was detected to produce fake hand sanitisers. Methanol can be highly toxic and dangerous for the human body.

[Pitta]