Sourendro is the latest victim of cyber crime

Sourendra Mullick is at his wits’ end. The musician has got entangled in a case of online fraud. He had ordered for a

digital piano

from a reputed online retailer but despite making the payment, it never got delivered. He finally lodged a complaint with the Cyber Cell of Kolkata Police on October 28.
It all began when Sourendra was in search for a digital

piano

and spotted it on a popular website. “The ordeal began from there,” he said. Elaborating on his bitter experience, the musician added, “I was looking for a particular brand and found a seller only on this website. I contacted the seller on October 23. They said the item will be delivered on my doorstep within a couple of days. They asked for some token money as advance apart from the duty fee. I obliged and paid just the way I do for other websites. I booked the piano on Wednesday and it was supposed to be delivered on Friday, just in time for one of my shows in Salt Lake. I kept on waiting but it never came. However, I kept receiving delivery updates on my number. When I tried calling on the same number, it was non-existent.”
While the price of the piano was about Rs 60,000, the musician had already paid almost Rs 50,000. “Later, when I searched a bit, I realised that many other buyers had gone through the same experience. That is when I lodged a complaint with Kolkata Police,” he said.
But what happened to the concert, we asked. “I borrowed one from my percussionist, Himadri Shekhar Das, who arranged the piano from his collective, Beat Blusters. I'm really thankful to them,” Sourendra said.