Ahmedabad: A 24-year-old nurse from Shahibaug learned the hard way that online promises can come with a hefty price tag. She lost Rs 1.31 lakh to cybercriminals who tricked her with the promise of a luxury gift hamper.
The woman, who works at a public hospital, stumbled upon an ad on Instagram on Oct 1 about opportunities to settle in the UK. Clicking the link led her to a WhatsApp chat with a supposed agent, who requested her documents. She told the person she would talk with her family first before sending any documents.
Though she hesitated, the scam quickly escalated when, on Oct 6, the same person called back, insisting on sending her a gift hamper. Though she refused, that person insisted on sending it, saying he had made a huge profit and wanted to share it with others.
On Oct 7, another man, posing as a Delhi airport official, contacted her, claiming an expensive gift package containing a phone, a watch, diamond rings and AirPods had arrived for her, alongside 6,000 pounds in cash. He demanded Rs 22,000 as customs tax to release the items, threatening her with arrest if she refused to accept the gift. Out of fear, she complied, transferring the amount via UPI.
This gave the cyberscammers a chance to dupe her further. She told police that the person who sent her the gift told her that he personally went to Delhi airport to get the gift hamper clear and would deliver it to her in person. He even convinced her to pay for his flight ticket to Ahmedabad. She eagerly awaited his arrival on Oct 10. He told her that he would take a cab to her house from the airport. She waited for a long time, but no one showed up. The man's phone was unreachable, too.
Realizing she had been duped, the 24-year-old filed a police complaint at Shahibaug police station on Monday. An FIR has been registered for cheating, breach of trust and under the Information Technology Act. The investigation is underway.