Woman Duped of Rs 1.46 Lakh in Customs Fraud by Social Media Friend

A woman was allegedly scammed out of Rs 1.46 lakh by a man she befriended on social media. The fraud involved demands for payment, posing as customs officials to release a gift purportedly sent from abroad. Police have registered an FIR and are investigating the case.

A woman was reportedly defrauded of Rs 1.46 lakh by a person she met on a social media platform, according to officials on Wednesday.

The scam involved fraudsters posing as customs officials and demanding payments for the release of a supposedly sent gift from abroad.

The woman recounted that she became friends on Instagram with a man who claimed to be from Europe, keen on learning Hindi. Days later, he mentioned that he had sent her gifts. Despite her initial refusal, she received a call and a message in an unfamiliar language, stating that a package from 'Calais Eric' would arrive at Mumbai International Airport.

She was then asked to pay Rs 50,000 as a customs clearance fee. When she complied, further demands for Rs 96,000 in insurance and income tax fees followed. Realizing the fraud after an additional demand of Rs 1.70 lakh, she approached the police.

A First Information Report (FIR) was lodged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Cybercrime (South) Police Station. A senior cyber police officer has confirmed ongoing investigations into the case.

(With inputs from agencies.)