Can Lift On Ban Of Liquor Shops Reduce Online Booze Frauds?

The nationwide lockdown among other things had also banned the sale of alcohol this led to the rise in people getting scammed by fraudsters in the name of alcohol.

Representational Picture (AFP)

New Delhi: Alcohol will now be allowed in all zones and so will be tobacco and pan, however, with certain riders from May 4. "Liquor stores and pan shops will be allowed to function in all zones while ensuring a minimum six feet distance from each other and ensuring that not more than five persons are present at one time at the shop," the MHA statement on Friday. The sale and purchase of alcohol will now be permitted from stand alone shops which means one cannot buy or sell them through a shop that is either in a mall or in a shopping complex. Those residing in a containment zones won't see liquor shops being opened. Around the country during lockdown, people are, however, getting scammed by fraudsters in the name of alcohol. While innocent people are just looking to make lockdown a bit more bearable with some liquor, scamsters have taken this opportunity to trick people and wipe out their bank account. Home delivery of liquor is illegal, and Facebook pages, WhatsApp messages, and SMSes advertising delivery of liquor are these scamsters modus operandi. Jamtara Scammers According to reports, some of these gangs have been traced to Jamtara in Jharkhand, a village that is famous for being involved in phishing scams and other cybercrimes. Arrests are yet to be made, and the monetary losses are being worked out. How the scam works: Some reports have explained how the scam works, a desperate customer calls on the given number, and the person on the other side agrees to deliver the alcohol order to your doorstep if the customer pays in advance. The customer follows through but will not receive the order while trying to call back there will be no answer. In some cases, the crooks would go further by asking for bank details and OTP SMS with a Happy Hour promise, only to wipe out the bank account of the gullible customer. Cases of such scams have been filed from Jaipur, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Gurugram, and Pune among others. In Jaipur, somebody from Bharatpur promised the delivery of alcohol to Jaipur and even took Rs. 65000 after which the person never heard from the fraudster again. The number usually become inactive after the payment is received or once the scammer wipes out the bank account. According to a news report from Millennium Post, online frauds of home delivery of liquor make up 30 percent of the cybercrimes occurring in the city. From March 25 to April 27, there have been 80 cases of cybercrimes that have been registered in Gurugram. In this, there have been 34 registered cases of online crimes of sales and home delivery of liquor. In Pune, one such case was of a 28-year-old techie who resides in Sangvi called a number which he received through WhatsApp, he orders himself some rum for which he was asked to pay Rs.1200 through Google Pay later the scamster demanded the OTP which the victim after which a sum of Rs.4000 was deducted from his account, said a report from Pune Mirror. According to an IANS report, the Kolkata Police reported that the cybersecurity wing has already received about five complaints in the last few days where “unsuspecting people” put in orders online (to purchase alcohol) and shared their bank details, resulting in amounts being siphoned off, or dubious transactions being done on their credit cards. In some cases, digital payments have been made sans any delivery of goods (liquor in this case). An Asian Age report from Hyderabad of a resident of Sultan Bazaar who contacted the number provided on an advertisement online. The advertiser asked for his card details and said he would complete the transaction to deliver a bottle of brandy for Rs 1,600.  After the money was transferred, the accused made five more transactions, convinced the victim to share the OTP for each transaction, siphoned off Rs 92,000, and then turned his phone off. Bootlegging and hooch making Aside from scams, bootlegging, and manufacturing of fake booze is also coming through, 6 people were arrested in Delhi, they were involved in making cheap liquor and selling it as premium brand blended scotch whiskey, single-malt whiskey, and vodka, and also sealed two manufacturing units. Another manufacturing unit where the gang used to make fake bottle caps was also sealed according to an HT report. Lift on the ban can reduce scams Retail sale of liquor makes up from 75% of Indian liquor market size, 25% comes from bars which cannot open. Last year, liquor sales brought in Rs 2.84 lakh crore revenue to state governments. The Centre on Friday allowed the sale of liquor in standalone wine stores as well as the sale of paan/gutkha and other tobacco products across the country from May 4 except in Covid-19 containment zones. States like Kerala had to lift the ban as there were sudden surge suicide rates, which made the government sell liquor to those with a prescription. According to an IANS report, a statement by MHA said, “Liquor stores and pan shops will be allowed to function in all zones while ensuring a minimum six feet distance from each other and ensuring that not more than five persons are present at one time at the shop.”