Maharashtra Cyber Fraud: 41-Year-Old Vasai Man Duped Of ₹23 Lakh In Telegram Bidding Scam, Case Registered

Palghar, Maharashtra: A 41-year-old resident of Vasai has been defrauded of over ₹23 lakh in an online scam involving a promise of doubling money through a bidding scheme on the Telegram app. Manikpur Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the matter.

The victim, Abhishek Santosh Shirsat, a resident of Vasai West, reported that the fraud occurred between February 8, 2025, and June 24, 2025. According to the First Information Report (FIR), an individual identified as Sunali contacted Shirsat through the Telegram app, offering an opportunity to earn money via bidding.

Sunali allegedly assured Shirsat that she would double his invested amount. Believing the promise, Shirsat transferred a total of ₹23,25,014 through online transactions to the accused. He later realized he had been cheated and filed a complaint with the police.

The accused has been booked under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, along with Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, which deal with various forms of online fraud, cheating by personation, and identity theft using communication devices.

Police stated that the case was registered after a preliminary inquiry based on a complaint received via a cyber portal. Efforts are underway to trace and apprehend the accused.