An 83-year-old lawyer from Chembur has lost INR 6.65 lakh in a scam by a woman claiming to be from London. The scam began when he received a WhatsApp message from the woman using a UK-based number on October 8. The woman introduced herself as Amelia Florida.
According to the lawyer, he and the woman started talking and exchanged pictures. Over time, they became friends. The lawyer revealed that his children live overseas, but he resides with his eldest son.
The woman told him that she was involved in real estate and also dealt in gold. She claimed that her family member wanted her to buy 700 grams of gold from an Indian jewellery store to resell in Sweden. She explained that buying gold in India would allow her relative to get it at a lower price.
The lawyer offered to help with the gold purchase. The woman told him she would travel to Mumbai on October 24. She even shared a picture of a flight ticket from London to Delhi for October 24.
On that day, she called him at 11:30 am, saying she was detained at Delhi airport. She claimed she was stopped for carrying one lakh pounds. To clear customs, she requested INR 96,000 from the lawyer. The lawyer agreed and transferred the amount.
The next day, she contacted him again. This time, she asked for INR 2.35 lakh for an anti-money laundering certificate. She assured him that she would repay all the money once she arrived in Mumbai. The lawyer again agreed and made the payment through RTGS.
In total, he transferred INR 6.65 lakh in multiple payments. After this, the woman stopped responding to his calls. Realising that it was a scam, the lawyer then filed a complaint with the Govandi police station.
A case has been registered against unknown individuals under sections related to cheating and impersonation. Additional charges under the IT Act were also included.
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