A homemaker from Kalka who was preparing for her daughter’s wedding lost ₹8 lakh to cyber fraudsters who promised her financial help.
The victim told the police that on July 24, she got a WhatsApp call from an unknown number, with the person on the other end introducing himself as a UK-based businessman. He told her that he wanted to help her financially and would send her jewellery for her daughter’s wedding.
The accused allegedly gained her confidence by sending fake air tickets, passport copies and photographs of gold jewellery. He also sent pictures claiming to be at an airport and assured her that he was travelling to India.
On July 29, the woman received a message stating that the person had been detained at Mumbai airport. Another person, posing as an airport official, allegedly contacted her and claimed that the man was carrying gold jewellery, an iPhone and ATM cards and needed ₹33,000 for clearance formalities.
Believing the claims, the woman transferred money through Paytm and bank transactions to different accounts. She allegedly transferred ₹2.4 lakh to a South Indian Bank account, followed by ₹50,000 through Paytm and other payments to the tune of ₹4 lakh through bank transfers. But even after that, the accused continued demanding more money, claiming that customs and tax payments were pending. It was then that she realised she had been duped and approached the police. A case of cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and identity-related fraud has been registered at the cyber crime police station.