29-Year-Old Woman Duped of Rs 18 Lakh by Facebook Fraudster Pretending to be Army Officer

A 29-year-old woman from Ratnagiri was allegedly scammed out of Rs 18 lakh by a fraudster she met on Facebook, who posed as an Indian Army officer. After several monetary requests for supposed medical issues, the woman realised the deceit and lodged a complaint with Versova police. An investigation is underway.

A 29-year-old woman from Ratnagiri was allegedly defrauded of Rs 18 lakh by an individual she met on Facebook, police revealed on Wednesday.

The victim, working as a caretaker in the city, lodged a complaint with the Versova police station. According to officials, the scammer, identifying himself as 'Vivek Patil', claimed to be an Indian Army officer stationed in Jammu and Kashmir.

Over time, the fraudster solicited money from the woman, citing medical issues. She transferred a total of Rs 18,30,101 to various accounts. It was only after he ceased communication that she realised she had been duped. Authorities have registered a case against two individuals, Vivek Patil and Laxman Dalvi, and are currently investigating.

(With inputs from agencies.)