Mumbai: A 74-year-old woman from Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai was allegedly cheated of Rs 50.8 lakh by a cyber fraudster who posed as a doctor from New Zealand working with the United Nations peacekeeping force in Yemen.
Details On The Fraud
According to the South Cyber Police, the accused befriended the elderly woman through social media in the first week of January this year. Introducing himself as 'Joshua Willian,' the man claimed he was a New Zealand-based doctor deployed in Yemen for UN peacekeeping duties. He told the victim that his wife and mother had died and that he was raising his five-year-old daughter alone.
According to a Hindustan Times report, the complainant, a resident of Cuffe Parade, lost her husband in July 2024 and lives alone. Her day-to-day expenses were being managed through investments made by her late husband. After initial chats on social media, the accused exchanged mobile numbers with the woman, following which they began speaking regularly over phone calls.
Accused Emotionally Blackmailed Victim For Duping Her
During one such conversation, the man claimed that his daughter, Maya, and several other children had suffered food poisoning after consuming a birthday cake. He alleged that some children had died, while his daughter survived but was in critical condition and required emergency surgery. Claiming he was posted in a low-network zone outside his home country, he told the woman he was unable to arrange funds immediately.
Moved by his repeated pleas and believing his story, the woman transferred Rs 50.8 lakh to him in 27 online transactions between January 5 and February 3. The accused reportedly assured her that he would repay the amount once he returned to India after completing his peacekeeping assignment.
The fraud came to light on February 9, when the accused again contacted the woman, claiming there was a typhoid outbreak at his posting location and that he had contracted the infection. He sought additional money for his treatment. Having exhausted her savings, the woman approached her son for financial help.
Suspicious about the sudden request, her son questioned her and was told the entire sequence of events. He immediately realised that she had been cheated and advised her to approach the police.
Based on her complaint, the Mumbai Police have registered a case against an unknown person under Sections 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by personation) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act. Further investigation is underway to trace the accused and the money trail.
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