Mumbai Crime: Man duped of Rs 22.78 lakh by 'Instagram friend'

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A 52-year-old man was allegedly duped of Rs 22.78 lakh by a person he befriended on Instagram. The fraudster lured him to invest in a US-based pharmaceutical firm that exports medicinal seeds that cure breast cancer. According to Times of India, the victim told police that he came across a California-based woman on Instagram in April. The two they exchanged contact numbers and started chatting on WhatsApp.

The woman identified herself as Laura Doura, who claimed that one of her family members work for a pharmaceutical company in the US that sourced medicinal seeds that cure breast cancer. The police said that the victim works as a senior official in a communications company in Navi Mumbai and is a resident of Lodha Complex.

A police officer said that the woman told the victim that the medicinal seeds are extremely expensive and asked if he wants it for a lower rate, so they can do some business with it. The woman then connected him to an agent and asked the victim to get three sample packets of the seeds through him.

According to the police, the agent asked the victim to deposit Rs 2.25 lakh to an Indian bank account number. After transferring the amount, when the victim did not receive any delivery, he inquired with the agent, who said that they need seven to 10 packets of the seeds. The man then transferred money amounting up to Rs 22.78 lakh on different occasions and in various Indian bank accounts of four different persons, the police said.

Even after sending the amount, when the man did not receive any delivery, he realised that he has been cheated and approached the Kapurbawdi police station and filed a complaint. The police has registered a case against the persons under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code.