Mumbai Crime: Kurla woman duped of Rs 17 lakh on pretext of online gifts

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A Delhi-based Nigerian woman was arrested by the Vinoba Bhave Nagar police for allegedly duping a Kurla resident of Rs 17 lakh through fraudulent online transactions.

As per a Mumbai Mirror report, the accused, 26-year-old Jacinta Okonowo Ofana had cheated several women through similar modus operandi and was using several international and local SIM cards to dupe women.

A divorcee, the 34-year-old Kurla woman met a man on social media who claimed to be a pilot by profession working in Russia and a UK national.

Andrea Olivera and the woman exchanged numbers and became close friends. After weeks of being in touch, he asked her address so as to send her gifts from Russia. The complainant was reluctant in receiving gifts but he insisted.

A couple of days later, Olivera mentioned that he has sent foreign currency notes along with the gifts. A few days later, she received a called from a woman who introduced herself as Ankita Sharma and told her that her parcel has arrived from Russia. She also told her that the parcel was worth Rs 65 lakh but she is required to pay a clearance fee in order to receive it.

Only after shelling out Rs 17.22 lakh in multiple transactions did the complainant realise that she has been duped.

She then filed a complaint at the Vinoba Bhave Nagar police who tracked the fraudster's exact location to Delhi.

Ofana was nabbed from Delhi by a team of Mumbai police officers.