Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: An industrialist's daughter was duped of Rs 73,000 after falling victim to a phishing scam on Instagram. The crime involved advertising a fake villa in Nashik and siphoning money through a convincing communication ploy.
As per information, the 26-year-old woman, seeking a comfortable villa for a family vacation in Nashik, stumbled upon an enticing advertisement on Instagram under the handle ‘vistara_getaways.’ Clicking on the ad, she was directly connected via WhatsApp.
Assuming she was in contact with the villa owner, the daughter inquired about booking the villa for a 10-person stay over two days. The scammer swiftly quoted Rs 73,600 and, trusting the seemingly legitimate interaction, she transferred the entire amount from her father's account.
However, the booking was cancelled. When no refund materialized after two days, the daughter contacted the supposed owner through a friend. To her shock, the real owner clarified having no knowledge of the booking or the Instagram profile.
Further investigation revealed the cybercriminal used an IDBI bank account under a fake name from Navi Mumbai to execute the scam. A case has been registered in the cyber police station and further investigation is under process.