Gullible people have been defrauded of over Rs 13 lakh in the past two years by fake emails and SMSes offering them foreign funds, the government said today.

"As per the information compiled by the Department of Banking Supervision in RBI, five complaints have been received regarding losing money while responding to fake emails/SMS messages during the last two years. The amount involved in the complaints is Rs 13,02,705," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a reply in the Rajya Sabha.

He said the RBI has been receiving many complaints from citizens and organisations relating to fictitious offers of funds from abroad and is taking steps to prevent people from falling prey to these false promises.

Fraudsters, Mukherjee added, send official sounding communications through e-mails, letters, mobile phone calls, SMS, etc., to gullible people, offering them alluring schemes of receiving funds from abroad through prize money, lottery winnings, scholarship offers, grants, etc.

"RBI has issued, from time to time, many circulars...

cautioning the banks authorised to deal in foreign exchange (called Authorised Dealer Banks) about such fraud... Banks have also been advised to give wide publicity and also bring the contents of these circulars to the notice of their constituents and customers concerned," Mukherjee said.

He said the RBI has also received representations for confirming the genuineness of the offers received in releasing funds 'deposited with the Reserve Bank'.