PUNE: A 29-year-old Undri resident fell for the lies of a glib-talking conman she had met on a matrimonial website in December last year and was duped of over Rs2.47 lakh on the promise of marriage.
With the help of an accomplice, the man used the trick of seeking money from her claiming that he was detained at the Mumbai airport by the customs. In two days — December 10 and 11 last year — the woman transferred over Rs2.47 lakh to free the man.
“The fraudster introduced himself to the woman as a UK-based businessman on a matrimonial website in the first week of December. After talking for a few days over social media websites and cellphone, he told her that he would come to India to finalize their wedding plans,” senior inspector of the Kondhwa police Vinayak Gaikwad said.
The complainant received a call from a woman posing as a customs official on December 10 and 11. “She told the complainant that her friend was arrested for possessing 10,000 US dollars. The woman, without checking the authenticity of the call, transferred over Rs2.47 lakh to multiple accounts provided by the fraudster,” he said.
The Kondhwa police booked the fraudsters on Wednesday under the relevant sections of the IPC and IT Act after the case was transferred from the cybercrime police station.