In a shocking incident, a 46-year-old woman from Navi Mumbai’s Airoli area was allegedly defrauded of Rs 49.59 lakh by cyber fraudsters who promised her an expensive gift from abroad and impersonated a customs official to extort money. The incident, which took place between June and August 2024, came to light after the victim lodged a complaint with Rabale police on Friday.
According to the police, the woman was first contacted by a man claiming to be from the United Kingdom through Instagram. After developing a friendly rapport with her, the accused promised to send her a costly gift parcel.
Fake customs officer demands payments
Shortly after, the victim received a call from a woman claiming to be a customs officer posted at the Delhi airport. The caller told her that the parcel had arrived but was stuck due to customs formalities. She was informed that to release the parcel, she would need to pay various charges such as customs duties, foreign exchange fees, and handling costs.
Trusting the callers, the woman transferred R 49,59,999 over several weeks to different bank accounts shared by the accused.
The victim eventually realized she had been conned after the monetary demands continued to escalate and no parcel was delivered. When her attempts to reach the suspects failed, she approached the police.
FIR registered, probe underway
A case has been registered under sections 318(4) (cheating) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.
“Initial findings suggest both the accused used fake identities. Their real names and addresses are yet to be traced,” an official said, adding that the case has now been handed over to the cyber cell for further investigation.
The Navi Mumbai police have urged citizens to be wary of interactions on social media involving offers of gifts or requests for payments. "Verify identities and avoid making payments based on unverifiable claims," the official said.
