Mumbai: The Vinoba Bhave Nagar Police have arrested 26-years-old, Iman Ilyas Khan, for allegedly impersonating a Google Pay employee and committing online fraud worth ₹10,000. The arrest took place when Khan visited a tailoring shop in Kurla under the pretense of updating digital payment systems. This is a new type of fraud case carried out in such a manner.
According to the FIR, the accused, Iman Ilyas Khan, a resident of Ambikanagar, Vikhroli Parksite, approached a tailoring shop in Kurla West on the night of June 15 and misrepresented himself as a representative of Google Pay. Police said Khan attempted to exploit the shop owner's reliance on digital transactions for his small business.
The victim, Mainuddin Sajjad Ansari, 45, runs Kazmeen Tailors on Hall Road, Halavpul, Kurla (West), and uses PhonePe linked to his Bank of Baroda account for business payments.
At around 8:10 PM, Khan entered the shop and asked Ansari whether his digital payment system had been updated. Upon hearing that it hadn't, Khan warned that failure to update the linked bank account would disrupt future transactions. He then asked to access Ansari’s phone.
While engaging the unsuspecting shopkeeper in conversation, Khan requested that he open the PhonePe app and input his PIN. Believing the explanation, Ansari complied. Moments later, Khan attempted to leave, claiming the update would reflect in 10–15 minutes.
Sensing something suspicious, Ansari stopped him and checked his account—only to discover that ₹10,000 had been transferred at 8:34 PM to an ICICI account in the name of Irshad Ali.
When questioned, Khan gave evasive answers. A neighboring shopkeeper, Vinod Tiwari, intervened and confronted Khan, who claimed the transaction was a mistake and made a phone call. Soon after, at 9:43 PM, a sum of ₹10,001 was credited back into Ansari’s account from an Axis Bank account in the name of Ahmed Raza Abdul Majid Khan.
The Police were alerted, and two police man arrived at the shop and took Khan into custody. An Aadhaar card found in his possession listed an address in Bhayandar East: Anjani Heritage Building-2, Salasar Balaji Nagar, near Kanungo Estate.
The Police have registered a case under Section 318(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), related to cheating and online fraud. Further investigations are ongoing to determine if Khan is linked to other similar fraudulent activities.
