Several women fall prey to online scam promising them room at Colaba hostel

According to the Cuffe Parade police the case was registered based on a complaint lodged by Chitra Dhareshwar who manages the women’s hostel at Queen’s Barrack no 1 in Colaba. According to the police, Dhareshwar received a call from a man enquiring about one Anil Gupta and sought to know if he worked with their organisation

MUMBAI: Several women, looking for employment and a place to stay in the city have fallen prey to a scam in which frauds have extracted money by promising them a room at Working Women’s Hostel in Colaba, run by Mahila Vikas Mandal. The hostel authorities recently learnt about the scam when the victims arrived at their premises with fake receipts.

Mumbai, India - Sept. 29, 2023: A view of Build Mahila Vikas Mandal, International Hostel, Colaba, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The Cuffe Parade police have registered a case following a complaint lodged by Mahila Vikas Mandal. The hostel authorities also issued an advisory to be aware of the scam on its website.

According to the Cuffe Parade police the case was registered based on a complaint lodged by Chitra Dhareshwar who manages the women’s hostel at Queen’s Barrack no 1 in Colaba. According to the police, Dhareshwar received a call from a man enquiring about one Anil Gupta and sought to know if he worked with their organisation.

“When she told the man that no such person identified as Anil Gupta worked with them. The parent told her that he had paid ₹4,500 as admission fees to him to admit his daughter to the hostel. The man even shared the number of the person identified as Gupta. The next day when the hostel authorities called Gupta, posing as the parents of a working woman looking for admission to the hostel, he told them that they would have to pay ₹4,500 for admission and ₹4,000 per month towards monthly rent. He even sent them a receipt of the payment after they sent the money to him,” said the police officer from Cuffe-Parade police station.

The officers said the hostel has been getting inquiries as the accused have been cheating people in the name of the hostel and giving fake admissions to the Working Women’s Hostel in Colaba, some women even landed at the hostel gates.

“The hostel has already put up a warning on its website that they don’t accept online payment and whoever wants admission should speak on the landline number or personally visit the premises,” said a police officer.

“We have registered a case against unknown persons whose mobile number we have under sections 419 (personation for the purpose of cheating) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code, and under sections 66C (identity theft) and 66D (punishment for cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, said the police officer.

“We will trace the accused through his mobile number and bank account in which the money of the victims have gone,” said the police officer.