A shocking case of fraud has come to light in Mumbai's Govandi area, where a man suffered a major financial loss after trying to help a woman who claimed to be from London. The unidentified woman lured the man by talking about cheaper gold prices in Mumbai and seeking his guidance to reach the city, eventually defrauding him of Rs 6.5 lakh through various tactics. Realizing the scam, the victim lodged a complaint against the woman at Govandi Police Station, and the police are now investigating the case thoroughly.
According to senior officers at Govandi Police Station, the complainant, Suryaprakash Kaushik (83), received a message on October 8 from an international number +447443080011. The sender introduced herself as Amelia Florida and said she lived in London. After a few days of chatting, a friendship developed between them. The woman then told Kaushik that she managed her father's business in London and was planning to start a gold trading business in Sweden. She claimed to have learned that gold was cheaper in India and requested Kaushik's assistance in this regard. Kaushik suggested that she come to Mumbai. On October 24, the woman informed him that she was en route to Mumbai from London. A few hours later, she called Kaushik, saying she had been detained at Delhi Airport due to carrying pounds and needed Rs 96,000 to proceed. Kaushik promptly transferred the money to her. Subsequently, the woman claimed she was involved in a money-laundering case, prompting Kaushik to send an additional Rs 2.35 lakh to her account. In this manner, the woman swindled a total of Rs 6.5 lakh from the victim.
Realizing he had been deceived, Kaushik alerted the police. A case has been registered against the unidentified woman under Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita sections 419(2), 418(4), and IT Act sections 66(D) and 66(C), and the police are continuing their investigation.