A shocking case of fraud has come to light in the LT Marg area of Mumbai, where a jeweler from Chennai, Vikas Singhi, was allegedly duped of ₹75 lakh through a WhatsApp Display Picture (DP) scam. Based on the complaint filed by the businessman, LT Marg Police have registered a case against three unidentified persons and have launched an investigation into the matter.
According to the LT Marg Police, on December 12 at around 1 PM, the complainant's relative, Parsmal Jain, received a WhatsApp call from an unknown mobile number. The caller's WhatsApp DP displayed the photo of their acquaintance, businessman Prithviraj Kothari. Trusting the image, Parsmal engaged with the caller, who claimed that funds meant for temple work were with a Chennai-based businessman, Anil Jain, and needed to be brought to Mumbai.
Prithviraj Kothari being a familiar figure to Parsmal Jain, he trusted the caller and shared the mobile number of his brother, Manish Singhi. A short while later, Manish received a WhatsApp call from the same caller, who introduced himself as Anil Jain and requested to meet at the office to collect the money. Manish, however, instructed the caller to collect the funds from their shop.
Subsequently, a man arrived in the Bhuleshwar area, claiming to have been sent by Prithviraj Kothari to collect the money. Trusting him, Manish handed over ₹75 lakh. The fraud came to light when a person named Ashok called Prithviraj Kothari, who denied making any such call or requesting funds.
Following the incident, Vikas Singhi filed a complaint with the LT Marg Police, who have registered a case against three unknown individuals. The police are currently investigating the matter and trying to trace the culprits involved in this high-profile fraud.
This incident serves as a stark reminder to stay cautious against cyber frauds, even when the source appears trustworthy.