Mumbai Cyber Safe: British 'groom' dupes Bhandup woman of ₹3.64 lakh

Mumbai Cyber Safe: British 'groom' dupes Bhandup woman of ₹3.64 lakh

As per the report, the two started chatting on WhatsApp and the man told her that his mother liked her a lot and they could soon get married.

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Sunday, March 19, 2023, 11:47 AM IST
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Mumbai Cyber Safe: British 'groom' dupes Bhandup woman of ₹3.64 lakh | Pixabay

A 26-year-old woman was allegedly defrauded of ₹3.64 lakh by a con artist who pretended to be a potential British groom, reports from Hindustan Times stated.

The Bhandup police claim that on January 18, 2023, the woman was contacted online by a man who identified himself as a member of the social media group "United Kingdom Marriage Bureau," of which she was also a part.

Two began chatting on WhatsApp

As per the report, the two started chatting on WhatsApp and the man told her that his mother liked her a lot and they could soon get married.

The man then told the complainant that he was sending a present to his sister for her birthday and would send one to the complainant as well.

He claimed that the gift package included the latest iPhone, some US dollars, and a few outfits.

Later, the woman started getting calls from a ‘courier company’, asking her to pay Customs duty. When she paid the demanded amount, she was told that the parcel would reach her in a few hours.

However, the courier firm again called her within an hour, claiming that the parcel was caught by the police and as it contained a lot of US dollars, she will have to bribe the police.

The woman paid the amount and was told that the parcel would reach her in a few hours.

Woman duped several times

Later, the woman began receiving calls from a "courier firm" demanding that she pay Customs duty. When she paid the requested sum, she was promised that the parcel will be delivered to her within a few hours.

Nevertheless, the delivery company called her again within an hour, alleging that the parcel had been intercepted by police because it included a large sum of money, and she would have to bribe the cops.

After paying the demanded amount, the woman received another call claiming that the vehicles carrying the parcel had a breakdown, following which she paid for the vehicle repair charges as well.

After two days she received one more call asking her to pay tax on the new iPhone imported to the country.

The accused later called the complainant and told her that he had lost all his money to the fraud associates of the courier firm executive.

He informed her that the Indian authorities had decided to return the shipment to the UK, which would be a problem for him because he had not informed his family about giving her gifts.

He then demanded that she pay the courier executive ₹2.70 lakh. Since the woman refused to pay the whole sum, she was requested to pay half on February 15. She paid the money in three separate transactions.

After the woman realised that she had been duped, she reported the crime to the police.

Following the complaint, the police registered an offence and wrote to the mobile network companies and banks to get details about the accused.

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