Mumbai: Woman Lawyer Duped in Online E-Bike Purchase Scam, Cyber Fraud Case Registered

A 37-year-old woman lawyer from Khar West has been cheated of over ₹1.09 lakh by cyber fraudsters who posed as electric bike sellers on Instagram. The scam came to light after the victim lodged a complaint with the Khar police, who have now registered a case of online fraud and initiated an investigation.

According to police officials, the woman had come across an Instagram handle named ‘surana_electric’, which advertised electric bikes at unusually low prices. The profile also displayed a contact number, which the woman used to connect with the alleged seller via WhatsApp on the morning of July 15.

During the conversation, the accused shared photos of various electric bike models and eventually provided her with three different contact numbers for further communication. After reviewing the options, the complainant selected a white electric bike. She was quoted ₹35,000 for the bike, ₹3,600 for insurance, and ₹2,900 for an EV charger — bringing the total to ₹40,500.

However, over the next few days, the woman was asked to make additional payments under various pretexts. These included claims that the bike’s GPS had been locked and required unlocking charges. Believing the demands to be genuine, she ended up transferring a total of ₹1,09,699 through different UPI IDs and bank accounts provided by the accused.

Despite repeated payments, the bike was never delivered. When the woman realised she had been conned, she first reported the matter on the national cyber helpline number 1930 and later approached Khar Police Station to file an official complaint.

Police have collected all related evidence, including mobile numbers, UPI transaction details, and the Instagram handle. The case has been handed over to the khar Police cyber cell, and an FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act.