Cyber Crime on the Rise: 'Foreign Friend' on FB dupes woman of ₹8 lakh within 20 days

Blindly accepting a friendship request from an unknown person on Facebook (FB) proved dear for a 52-year-old housewife, who lost more than ₹8 lakh in a span of less than one month.

In her complaint to the police, the woman (name withheld) stated that she came into contact with a man who identified himself as a UK-based doctor-Ryan Roland through FB, in August last year.

Soon both started chatting on instant messaging apps. The cyber-crook offered to help solve her financial crisis. On 10, January, 2022 the complainant received a message alerting about a transfer of 80,000 pounds (around 80 Lakhs INR) from a London-based bank.

Minutes later she received a call from an unknown person and asked to transfer ₹30,000 as fees to process the payment. The demands under various pretexts went on increasing and the woman ended up transferring a total of ₹8.09 lakh to specified digital wallets and bank accounts from 11 January to 3, February 2023.

Realising she was cheated; the woman registered a complaint.

A case under the relevant sections of the IPC and the Information Technology Act has been registered against the crooks with the cyber crime unit of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police on Friday. Further investigations were underway.