Mumbai Woman Scammed of ₹3.37 Lakh by Tinder 'Friend' in Airport Customs Fraud

Mumbai: Mumbai: A 43-year-old woman from Mumbai was allegedly duped of ₹3.37 lakh by a man she met through a dating app, police revealed on Friday. The woman, an art director, befriended a person named "Advait" on Tinder last month. After weeks of exchanging messages, the man claimed he was abroad and promised to visit Mumbai on September 16.

On that date, the woman received a call from a person who claimed to be a Delhi customs official and told her that her friend Advait was caught at the airport with thousands of Euros on him.

The so-called official asked her to pay a total of Rs 3.37 lakh through UPI to secure her friend's release, and she paid as instructed, the woman stated in her complaint.

The caller later asked her to deposit another Rs 4.99 lakh in a bank account. When she went to her bank to transfer the money, an official there asked her the reason, alerting her after sensing that she had fallen victim to a cyber fraud.

A case of cheating was registered at Versova police station against unidentified fraudsters, and an investigation is underway to identify the culprits.

(With PTI inputs)