Chandigarh, June 30: If you receive a mail or phone call  from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) asking you to deposit money  in the form of processing fees for availing of a lottery bonanza,  don't start thanking your stars.
 Instead, ignore it, because there's no chance of the persons  on the other end being the real McCoy.
 According to RBI regional director Jasbir Singh, fraudsters  have found a new way to fleece the more gullible among the populace.  Posing as RBI officials, they inform people through mail or telephone  that they have chanced upon a Reserve Bank bonanza, and all they  have to do to avail of it is deposit some cash in a particular bank.
 Sometimes, they even issue the offers on certificates or RBI  letterheads -- with authentic-looking signatures -- to make them  seem genuine, he added.
 "The moment the money is deposited, it is taken out... In the  name of transaction tax, conversion charges or registration money," Singh said.
 Sometimes, as part of their strategy to cheat the public, unscrupulous  elements even impersonate RBI officials over the phone and acquire  vital information such as account information and passwords from  the victims, he said.
 The issue came to the RBI's notice following several complaints  from individuals, trusts and other entities, who fell victim to the  fraudsters through various mediums, including newspapers, Singh said.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 1 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST