Child Photoshoot Scam: Borivali Police Nab Two in Online Fraud Over Fake Kids’ Photoshoot Offer

Borivali Police have arrested two wanted accused who allegedly duped a woman by falsely claiming that her 10-year-old daughter was selected for a photoshoot by a reputed clothing brand. The arrested individuals have been identified as Jaikishan Omprakash Singh and Bhagatsingh Omprakash Singh, both of whom are brothers and have a history of criminal records.

According to the police, the complainant, Charmi Parekh, resides in the Borivali area of Mumbai. Her husband works in the stock market, while their 10-year-old daughter is a student. The woman had previously conducted a professional photoshoot of her daughter and submitted the pictures to various companies for modelling opportunities.

On 26 March 2025, she received a call from a man identifying himself as Jaikishan Singh, who claimed that her daughter had been selected for a photoshoot with a prominent clothing company. He asked her to pay various charges including processing fees, clothing costs, studio entry charges, courier fees, and other miscellaneous expenses. He assured her that all the money would be reimbursed after the shoot. Trusting him, the woman transferred ₹28,547 online.

As scheduled, on 19 April, she arrived with her daughter at Film City in Goregaon. However, upon reaching the location, she discovered that no shoot was taking place there. Her attempts to contact Jaikishan went in vain as his phone was switched off. Realizing she had been duped, she immediately approached Borivali Police and lodged a complaint.

Following a preliminary investigation, a case was registered under relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and under the IT Act. During the probe, police tracked the accused to Andheri, where both Jaikishan and Bhagatsingh were nabbed from the Malpa Dongri area near Vasant Hotel.

During interrogation, both confessed to the fraud. It was revealed that they are siblings and residents of Andheri. Both have several criminal cases registered against them in different police stations across Maharashtra.

Jaikishan has a murder case registered against him in Dapoli (Ratnagiri) from 2023, and he is also booked for robbery and other crimes in Sangameshwar, MIDC, and Andheri police stations. His brother Bhagatsingh has cases registered against him in Meghwadi, MIDC, and Andheri police stations for drug-related offences, embezzlement, and cyber fraud.

Investigations further revealed that the bank accounts used for receiving the fraudulent money were also used in similar crimes registered in Nhava Sheva (Navi Mumbai), Rachakonda (Telangana), Coimbatore, and Tambaram (Tamil Nadu). This information was confirmed through the National Cybercrime Portal.

Both accused have been produced in court and remanded to police custody for further interrogation. Borivali Police are now investigating whether the duo is linked to a larger cyber fraud network.