Indore (Madhya Pradesh): "A man with an NRI profile followed me on social media. We started talking. He told me he had a good job in Australia and wanted to marry a nice girl and settle there. I liked the way he spoke. One day, he told me he was sending me a diamond ring, expensive gifts and some dollars. He even sent me photographs of the gifts.
"Three days later, I received a call from someone claiming to be an officer at Delhi airport. He said a parcel had arrived in my name, but it contained a large amount of dollars. I would have to pay money to get it released. When I refused, he connected me to his senior officer. They then made a video call and showed me what looked like an airport and later a customs office.
"I was frightened because the NRI man's phone was also switched off. Eventually, I paid them ?3 lakh in several instalments. Later, I realised I had been cheated. Fearing my family's reaction, I approached the Crime Branch only two months later."
This is not the story of just one working woman. More than 60 people in Indore have fallen victim to similar scams in the past 10 months. Most victims are women and young girls.
Fraudsters lure them with promises of marriage, romance, friendship and expensive gifts from abroad. The gangs have now gone a step further, creating fake airport and customs office setups to make their stories believable. Three to four gang members impersonate different officials to threaten victims and extract money from them.
Elderly Man Duped Of ?10.43 Lakh
A senior citizen from the Aerodrome area also fell into a similar trap after befriending a woman from Scotland on social media. While the profile displayed a woman's photograph, fraudsters operated the account.
Having lost his wife, the elderly man became emotionally attached to the woman.
Following the familiar script, she claimed to have sent him an expensive gift from Scotland. Three days later, he received calls from purported customs officials at Delhi airport.
They threatened him, claiming the parcel contained dollars and demanding money for currency conversion and customs duty. He eventually transferred ?10.43 lakh. The fraud came to light when his son noticed the transactions, following which the matter reached the Crime Branch.
OFFICIALSPEAK
'They Are Not NRIs, But Fraudsters'
"More than 60 people have been cheated this year after being befriended online and promised gifts from abroad. We are continuously warning people that these are not NRIs but organised gangs of fraudsters. They also impersonate airport and customs officials. People must remain cautious. Last year, a woman teacher was similarly cheated of ?30 lakh.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Rajesh Dandotiya
