Social Media Friendship Fraud: Man Duped of Rs 8.7 Crore

An elderly man was deceived out of Rs 8.7 crore by multiple women through social media. The elaborate scam involved numerous transactions under false pretenses over 21 months. The victim borrowed more money from family before the fraud was detected. An FIR has been filed, and investigations continue.

An 80-year-old man from India has been swindled out of Rs 8.7 crore in a sophisticated scam that involved several women he befriended on social media. According to a police report on Friday, the man was targeted by the women who presented various emergencies to solicit money.

The elderly victim made an astonishing 734 money transfers over 21 months beginning in April 2023. Initially, a woman who identified herself as Sharvi befriended him on Facebook, eventually asking for financial assistance for her son's medical expenses. This led to subsequent requests from women claiming to know Sharvi, each citing medical emergencies.

In January, after discovering his dwindling finances, the man's son intervened, leading to a complaint filed on the national cyber helpline. Police have now registered a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified persons as investigations progress in unraveling this case of cyber deception.

(With inputs from agencies.)