Scammer claimed to be a France-based hotelier, won her trust with false promises of marriage
A 41-year-old married woman from Mazgaon, Mumbai, has become the latest victim of cyber fraud after being duped of ₹3.4 lakh by a man who posed as an NRI hotel businessman on Facebook, reported freepressjournal.in.
The fraudster, using a fake identity, built trust through video calls and promises of marriage before extorting money from the woman over several weeks.
According to the FIR filed at Byculla Police Station, the victim, a resident of Hathibaug in Mazgaon, came into contact with the accused around three months ago via Facebook. Identifying himself as Sahil Jaggal, a hotel entrepreneur living in France but originally from Gurugram, Haryana, the accused initiated a friendly online relationship.
Their communication soon moved to WhatsApp, where they exchanged messages, and engaged in audio and video calls regularly. Building her trust, the accused claimed on April 13 that his ATM card had been blocked and requested financial assistance. The woman, believing his story, transferred ₹10,000 to him.
Over the following weeks, he continued asking for money under various pretexts, repeatedly promising to marry her. By May 31, he had allegedly taken ₹3.4 lakh from her.
Once she realized she had been deceived, the woman approached the police. The Byculla Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Act and the Information Technology Act. Investigations are currently underway to trace the accused and determine if more individuals were targeted using similar tactics.
Authorities have advised the public to exercise caution while interacting with strangers on social media and avoid sharing personal or financial information online.