A nurse at a private hospital in Mumbai lost Rs 1 lakh after being lured by a heavily discounted online dress sale, police said on Saturday. The fraud was orchestrated through a Facebook advertisement, a WhatsApp number, and a fake delivery agent, according to an official from Deonar police station.
The nurse, who resides in a hostel, came across a Facebook advertisement offering dresses at just Rs 299. She attempted to purchase one dress. The person on the other end initially sought payment for the dress but later continued to extract money under various pretexts such as shipping charges, GPS charges, tracking fees, verification codes, and address confirmation, the official said.
How the fraud unfolded
The nurse told the police that she paid Rs 1 lakh over five days between April 16 and 20. She was repeatedly assured that most of the money would be refunded and the order would be delivered. When nothing happened, she realized she had been scammed.
She then contacted the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 and lodged a complaint. The Deonar police have registered a case and launched a probe into the matter.
Authorities urge citizens to be cautious of heavily discounted online offers and to verify the authenticity of sellers before making payments.
