Mumbai Cyber Fraud: Woman Cheated of ₹24 Lakh by Instagram Friend Posing as UK Resident

A 31-year-old woman from Mahim, Mumbai, was defrauded of ₹24 lakh by a friend she met on Instagram, who claimed to be from the UK. The accused, who posed as a senior official of the Swiss-Italian cruise company ‘MSC Cruises,’ gained the woman's trust and then swindled her. The police are currently investigating the matter based on bank transactions.

The complainant, an accountant with a private company, received a friend request on Instagram from a man named Torres Neil in February. Neil claimed that he worked for MSC Cruises and lived in the UK. The two began chatting regularly on Instagram and WhatsApp. After a month of communication, Neil told her that he had received a significant promotion and was sending her a special gift. He informed her that he had dispatched a parcel to Mumbai via courier, which supposedly contained British pounds worth ₹3.33 crore.

On March 28, the woman received a call from someone claiming to be an officer from the Delhi Customs Department. She was told that she needed to pay ₹41,700 in taxes to release the parcel in her name. After paying this amount, the fake customs officer informed her that additional charges were required due to the large amount of foreign currency in the parcel. Over time, she was coerced into paying for a courier receipt, certificate, treasury international code, tax clearance fee, customs declaration, and ownership certificate. Between March 28 and June 14, she was duped into paying ₹24.07 lakh. When the fraudsters demanded an additional ₹2 lakh, she realized she had been cheated. She then discussed the situation with some friends, who confirmed her suspicions of fraud. The woman promptly approached the Cyber Police and lodged a complaint.

The police have registered a case of fraud, impersonation, and cyber fraud. They suspect the involvement of a Nigerian syndicate in this scam. The police have also obtained details of the bank accounts where the woman transferred the money and are continuing their investigation.