Mumbai: A 68-year-old tuition teacher here was allegedly duped of over Rs 8 lakh by a fraudster who had befriended her on Facebook by posing as a pilot of an international airline. Police gave this information on Friday.
The woman lodged a complaint at Mahim police station on Thursday, an official said.
According to his complaint, he received a friend request from one 'Dev Patel' on Facebook on May 12.
She accepted and soon the two started talking on the phone with the man claiming to be a British Airways pilot.
A few days later the man told her that he had sent her a gift.
On May 30, the complainant received a call. The woman on the other end, who identified herself as 'Dikshita Arora from Delhi Customs', said that a parcel had arrived in her name from Dubai, but she would have to deposit Rs 70,000 to receive it.
The complainant immediately sent Rs 70,000 through UPI. He was then told that there were 80 British pounds sterling inside the parcel, which had been sent illegally, and that he would have to pay Rs 2.95 lakh or the "crime branch" would arrest him.
Frightened by the constant threats she was receiving, the woman made the payment several times. The police officer said that between June 1 and 10 he transferred around Rs 8.15 lakh before he realized it was a scam.
A Facebook friend calling himself the pilot had meanwhile stopped responding to his calls and messages.
The officer said a case of cheating has been registered under section 420 of the IPC and investigation is underway.
The woman lodged a complaint at Mahim police station on Thursday, an official said.
According to his complaint, he received a friend request from one 'Dev Patel' on Facebook on May 12.
She accepted and soon the two started talking on the phone with the man claiming to be a British Airways pilot.
A few days later the man told her that he had sent her a gift.
On May 30, the complainant received a call. The woman on the other end, who identified herself as 'Dikshita Arora from Delhi Customs', said that a parcel had arrived in her name from Dubai, but she would have to deposit Rs 70,000 to receive it.
The complainant immediately sent Rs 70,000 through UPI. He was then told that there were 80 British pounds sterling inside the parcel, which had been sent illegally, and that he would have to pay Rs 2.95 lakh or the "crime branch" would arrest him.
Frightened by the constant threats she was receiving, the woman made the payment several times. The police officer said that between June 1 and 10 he transferred around Rs 8.15 lakh before he realized it was a scam.
A Facebook friend calling himself the pilot had meanwhile stopped responding to his calls and messages.
The officer said a case of cheating has been registered under section 420 of the IPC and investigation is underway.
