Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A woman was duped of Rs 10 lakh after an online scammer created a fake social media profile in her brother’s name and tricked her with a false visa-related story, police said on Sunday.
Additional DCP (crime) Rajesh Dandotiya said that the woman had lodged a complaint on the helpline number 1930/NCRP cyber portal. She said that an unknown person had created a fake social media ID using her brother Shakil’s name, who worked in Dubai.
The fraudster contacted her through message, claiming that Shakil’s visa had expired and that he could face imprisonment if the visa renewal fees were not paid immediately.
The victim was then connected over WhatsApp to a person calling himself “Haji Sahab,” who posed as a senior official. On the pretext of arranging her brother’s visa renewal, he collected around Rs 10 lakh from the woman in multiple instalments. The woman informed the police that she borrowed money from acquaintances to make the payments. The fraud came to light only when she managed to contact her brother and learned the truth.
After receiving a complaint, the crime branch’s cyber fraud investigation team immediately mailed the banks concerned to freeze the fraudulent accounts and initiated efforts to recover the money.
Cyber advisory
Indore Police have urged citizens not to trust messages or calls from unknown social media accounts. No genuine official or relative will ever ask for money or banking details online. One should always verify before sending money or sharing information.
For cyber awareness, people can access the Safe Clicks – AI Agentic Solutions (Chatbot) launched by Indore Police at https://safeclicks.in or contact 7049108197 for assistance. In case of cybercrime, people may report immediately at 1930/NCRP portal or call the city police cyber helpline number (7049124445).
