The Cyber Cell of Navi Mumbai police arrested a 30-year-old man from Rajasthan for allegedly cheating a teenager from Ulwe of Rs 3.29 lakh by promising a high-end mobile phone at a cheaper rate on social media.
The accused identified as Chirag Sharma had posted the sale of high-end mobile phones at just Rs 10,000 on social media.
Poonam Survey, a resident of Ulwe in Navi Mumbai, complained that his teenage son wanted to buy a mobile phone and while surfing, he found a high-end mobile at just Rs 10,000. “In last July, during the lockdown, the teenage contacted the accused over the phone after spotting the offer on social media. The accused demanded Rs 10,000 to be transferred to his bank account and following which he would hand over the mobile phone,” said a police officer from the cyber cell.
“The boy transferred the money from his mother’s account immediately. However, the accused told him that he did not receive the money. Thus, between August, 2 and October, 12, he made the boy transfer a total of Rs 3.29 lakh, but did not send any phone,” he said.
The boy’s mother learned about the incident when he visited her bank in mid-October and later informed the police about the incident.
“After technical analysis of the existing evidence, we zeroed in on the accused and arrested him on Wednesday. We have booked him for cheating under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 66 (C) and 66 (D) of the IT Act. He is now in police custody. So far, we have not found any criminal record of him,” the officer further said.
Meanwhile, police appealed to not fall prey on such offers and avoid making any such deals on the social media platforms. Last year, the city saw a 200% rise in cybercrimes.
