Mumbai: Airport police have issued a warning to flyers after a youth, posing as a student from a Nagpur-based technology institute, allegedly duped multiple people near the airport by fabricating a story about needing urgent financial help to buy a flight ticket.
According to a report by Times of India, the accused would approach passengers outside the airport premises, claim that he had lost his ticket and was stranded, and then seek money on the promise that he would repay it later. Officials said at least three to four people are suspected to have been cheated in a similar manner by the same person outside the airport.
The latest complainant in the case is Akshay Gawade (31), a sales manager from Pune, who was allegedly cheated after he exited the arrival gate at Mumbai Domestic Airport on March 21. Based on his complaint, an FIR was registered on Saturday. Police said they are now examining CCTV footage from the airport premises to establish the identity and whereabouts of the accused.
In his complaint, Gawade stated that when he stepped out of the airport around 12.30 pm, a visibly distressed youth approached him and identified himself as Nilaboyina Srigiridhara Aditya, reported TOI. The youth allegedly claimed to be a student of VNIT in Nagpur and even showed a college identity card, a photograph of which Gawade took on his mobile phone. The man then told him that he had lost his ticket to Hyderabad and urgently needed money to return.
Police said the accused repeatedly appealed for help and assured Gawade that the money would be returned soon. Believing that the youth was genuinely in distress, Gawade agreed to help him financially. The accused then showed him a QR code on his phone, following which Gawade transferred Rs 16,000 through Google Pay. After receiving the money, the accused allegedly shared his mobile number with Gawade.
However, when Gawade followed up two days later through WhatsApp, the man allegedly kept delaying repayment. When Gawade continued to pursue him for the money, the number was eventually blocked, which heightened his suspicion. On checking the payment details through his Google Pay history, Gawade found that the UPI ID to which the money had been sent was darivemula3@ptyes, prompting him to further verify the man’s identity.
To confirm whether the person was actually a student of VNIT Nagpur, Gawade emailed the college and also sent the photograph of the identity card shown to him. Police said the reply from the institute made it clear that no student by that name was enrolled there. The college further informed him that they had earlier received similar inquiries from at least three other individuals who had allegedly been cheated in the same way.
After receiving the college’s response, Gawade emailed a complaint to the Airport police station on March 29, stating that he was convinced he had been defrauded. Police said the accused had used the false claim of losing a flight ticket and needing urgent funds for a new one as a means to cheat unsuspecting passengers. Investigators have now approached the bank for details of the account holder linked to the transaction, which they believe may help trace the accused. Meanwhile, police have urged travellers not to fall for such emotional appeals and to immediately alert the nearest police station if approached by any suspicious individual seeking money on similar grounds.
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