The incidence of digital fraud, like Matrimonial site scams, is on the rise. A Delhi woman was recently duped of Rs 6 lakh.
A man impersonating a Swedish merchant marine officer defrauded a 32-year-old Delhi woman of Rs. 6 lakhs. The Pratap Nagar resident told authorities she had been conversing to Pradeep Kumar Thakur since September 15. Thakur told her he wanted to reside in Delhi, India. She said Thakur informed her he instructed his agent to arrange a Lisbon-Delhi trip. He stated the agent booked a flight to Mumbai instead due to a mix-up. Thakur would fly from Mumbai to Delhi again.
Thakur told me he wanted to live in India with his mother and 5-year-old daughter. He asked where I worked and claimed he would move to Delhi. We swapped contacts and started WhatsApping,” the woman told authorities, according to the Times of India.
Pradeep called the woman on WhatsApp on October 16 to request assistance at Mumbai Customs. She was then called by a Mumbai Customs official impersonator. The phony official said Pradeep was detained because his cheque was Rs. 2 crore, which exceeded the limit for foreigners entering India.
The thorough tale convinced the woman to transfer Rs. 6 lakhs, yet she was scammed. Thus, on November 30, a police complaint was filed under IPC sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly influencing property delivery) and 34 (common intention).
Conclusion
A man impersonating a Swedish merchant marine commander tricked a 32-year-old Delhi woman into depositing Rs. 6 lakhs. Thakur, who had been in communication with the woman since September, said he wanted to live in India with his mother and 5-year-old daughter. Pradeep called the woman over WhatsApp, claiming to be stranded at Mumbai Customs and needing aid. A Mumbai-based phony Customs official called her and claimed Pradeep was held due to a cheque that exceeded the international entrance restriction. The woman transferred the money but later found she was scammed. IPC 420 and 34 were used to submit a police report.
