A 45-year-old beautician from Kalyan in Maharashtra's Thane district was allegedly cheated of Rs 8.05 lakh by cyber fraudsters who lured her with the promise of receiving an overseas parcel containing foreign currency and gold ornaments, police said on Tuesday.
Woman duped with promise of overseas parcel
According to the FIR registered on Sunday, the complainant was contacted on her mobile phone between April and July 19 by a man who claimed that he had sent her a parcel from abroad.
Later, a woman allegedly contacted the victim and told her that the parcel had reached the customs office and that she would have to pay Rs 75,000 as customs charges to secure its release.
The caller further claimed that the parcel contained foreign currency and that additional payments were required towards a money laundering clearance certificate and taxes on a gold necklace and gold biscuits allegedly included in the consignment, police said.
Victim transfers Rs 8.05 lakh before realising fraud
Believing the claims to be genuine, the beautician transferred money on multiple occasions to the fraudsters.
According to the FIR, she eventually paid a total of Rs 8.05 lakh before realising that she had fallen victim to a cyber fraud.
The woman subsequently approached the police, following which a case was registered.
No arrests have been made so far, and further investigation into the case is underway, police said.
Navi Mumbai Police register mule account fraud case
In a separate development, Navi Mumbai Cyber Police have booked three bank account holders for allegedly facilitating online fraud by allowing transactions of more than Rs 11.48 crore through their bank accounts.
According to an official, the accused allegedly received and misappropriated Rs 11,48,23,733 between November 12, 2025, and February 27, 2026. The case was registered on Sunday.
Investigators suspect the accounts were used as mule accounts to route funds obtained through cyber fraud.
FIR registered under BNS provisions
Police said an FIR has been registered under Sections 318(4) (cheating), 317(2) (dishonestly receiving or retaining stolen property) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
No arrests have been made in the case so far, and further investigation is underway to trace the flow of funds and identify others who may have been involved in the alleged fraud.
(With inputs from PTI)
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