The police are probing two separate cases wherein women were befriended by unknown persons who under the pretext of sending them gifts duped them collectively to the tune of Rs26 lakh.
The complainant in the first case – a resident of Vasai – had lodged a complaint with the police stating that in December last year, she was befriended by a person on WhatsApp. Later, she was informed by her friend that he would be sending her a gift parcel. She was then induced to pay Rs22.61 lakh on various pretexts by the fraudster to claim the parcel. When the complainant did not receive any gift, she confided in her friend who told her that she was being defrauded and asked her to lodge a police complaint.
In another case, a Mira Road-based woman had lodged a complaint with the police stating that last month she had come across a profile on a matrimonial website. The person claimed to be from the United Kingdom and told the complainant that he would be coming to Mumbai to meet her. On February 14, the complainant received a call from a person who claimed to be a customs officer from Kolkata airport and informed her that her friend had been arrested since he was carrying foreign currency and jewellery.
The woman was then induced to pay Rs3.43 lakh in order to get her friend released. However, when the demand for money kept continuing, the complainant realised that he had been duped and lodged a police complaint.
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