The fraudsters posed as representatives of a reputed financial services company to cheat the woman, resident of Bandra area, over the last two months
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A 62-year-old housewife from Mumbai has allegedly been duped of Rs 7.88 crore by cyber fraudsters after being lured to invest in the stock market for high returns, police said, reported news agency PTI.
The fraudsters posed as representatives of a reputed financial services company to cheat the woman, resident of Bandra area, over the last two months, an official from West Region Cyber Police Station said on Monday.
The victim, in her police complaint, said she first received a message on WhatsApp from an unknown number. The sender, identifying as a woman, claimed to be the assistant of a senior officer of the company and initiated a conversation about stock investments, reported PTI.
The victim was then provided with the company officer's contact number and a link to a website. She was subsequently added to a WhatsApp group and introduced to another individual, who also claimed to be associated with the finance company, the official said, reported PTI.
On the woman's insistence, the victim transferred a total of Rs 7,88,87,000 into multiple bank accounts over a period of time, the police said, reported PTI.
When she attempted to withdraw her funds, she was asked to deposit an additional 10 per cent of the amount. Sensing something suspicious, the woman decided to inquire which indicated the fraud.
Based on the woman's grievance lodged on an online cyber complaint portal, the police have registered a case against unidentified persons under relevant legal provisions and initiated a detailed investigation into the matter, the official added.
Ex-deputy secretary booked in Mumbai for duping 19 govt officers of Rs 2.61 crore
In another case, the police have registered an FIR against a retired deputy secretary posted at Mantralaya in south Mumbai for allegedly duping 19 Maharashtra government officers and employees to the tune of Rs 2.61 crore in a housing scam, an official said on Monday, reported PTI.
According to the Powai police station official, the FIR were registered against the retired bureaucrat Rajesh Shaligram Govil, who cheated people by falsely promising to transfer government residences located at Blue Bell Building, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai in their names, reported PTI.
The case was registered based on a complaint filed by Umesh Chandivade, Under Secretary, Home Department, he said.
Between July 2019 and 2021, people looking for flats in the building gave a total of Rs 2.61 crore to Govil with some of them taking loans to arrange money, said the official, reported PTI.
However, the flats were not registered in their names and when they asked Govil to return their money, he made some excuse or the other, according to the official.
Govil has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating), and further investigation was underway, he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
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