Cyber mugging!

A Veteran director on the Hindi stage, Om Katare was busy preparing for the culmination of his year-long theatre festival that showcased more than 110 plays across the country in the past year to mark 30 years of his theatre group Yatri, until cyber crime caught up with him.

Recently, an e-mail was generated from his personal mail ID, informing all 700 people on his contact list that he had been mugged in London and was in urgent need of 2,500 dollars to bail him out of the sticky situation.

In fact, the hacker also provided a fake residential address in London and a bank account number with the Western Union Money Transfer for transferring funds in Katare’s name. The theatre director is obviously shocked, “It was a hoax. I have been badgered with calls from people asking me if I was alright in London. In fact, the hacker made sure the closest of my family members also received the mail.”

However, Katare is relieved that no one in haste actually transferred any money. He recounts, “The incident happened around midnight after which all night I received phone calls from alarmed friends and family about my whereabouts.”

The e-mail that flooded inboxes from Katare’s actual e-mail id quoted, “I’m presently in England right now, and having some difficulties. I was attacked by some hoodlums who made away with my entire luggage on my way to a hotel. I will need you to assist me with the sum of two thousand five hundred ($2,500.00) dollars to enable me to conclude my mission here and also return back home.” Katare informs that despite lodging a complaint with the Cyber Crime Investigation Cell at Mumbai, the miscreant has not been brought to the books.

At the brink of wrapping up the year-long Yatri Festival, Katare says it all came at the wrong time, “For three days, we were so disturbed and all festival work practically stopped.”