A shocking case of online fraud has come to light from the upscale Cuffe Parade area in South Mumbai, where a 74-year-old woman was allegedly cheated of Rs 50.80 lakh by a man she befriended on Facebook.
According to a complaint lodged with the South Region Cyber Police, the victim received a friend request in January 2026 from a person identifying himself as Joshua William Douglas. The accused claimed to be a doctor from New Zealand currently working for the United Nations in war-torn Yemen.
To gain the woman’s trust, the accused introduced himself as a widower and narrated emotional stories about his five-year-old daughter, ‘Maya’. He continued regular conversations with the victim over WhatsApp and gradually built a rapport.
The fraud began when the accused claimed that his daughter had been hospitalised due to “toxic food” and required urgent surgery to save her life. Moved by his story, the woman initially transferred Rs 30,000. Subsequently, the accused cited multiple reasons to extract more money, including claiming that his bank account had been frozen due to his presence in a conflict zone. He sought funds for his daughter’s treatment as well as for his own alleged treatment for typhoid.
Between January 3 and February 9, 2026, the victim transferred a total of Rs 50,80,000 to various bank accounts provided by the accused.
The fraud came to light when the accused demanded more money in the name of medical expenses. The woman informed her son, who immediately suspected cyber fraud. Attempts to contact the accused on the provided mobile numbers failed as the phones were found switched off.
The victim has registered a formal complaint against Joshua William Douglas and the holders of the bank accounts where the money was transferred. A complaint has also been lodged with the cyber helpline 1930. Police are now tracing the bank accounts to identify and apprehend those involved in the fraud.