Mumbai, April 7: Instances of fraud has become common these days with gullible people losing lakhs in such cases. In another alleged incident of fraud, a gym trainer in Mumbai’s Parel has recently lodged a police complaint alleging that a maulana duped him to the tune of Rs 1.99 lakh. The man wanted to know about his future as he was struggling to land a ‘proper job’ and was also not able to marry his lover.

According to a report in Indian Express, the complainant came across an astrologer’s page on Instagram on December 5, 2022.

The complainant said to police that he was struggling to get a job and he also wanted to get married to a girl but things were not working out between them, so he wanted to know about his future due to which he got attracted to the page and started inquiring more. The astrologer initially asked him to transfer online Rs 101 and claimed that he will resolve his problem within three days. Online Fraud in Mumbai: Woman Duped of Rs 10 Lakh After Being Lured for Work From Home Scam and Bitcoin Investment.

Subsequently, on December 10, 2022, the astrologer reached out to him again and alleged that the problem was bigger than he thought and a Dubai-based maulana will help him. Online Fraud in Gujarat: Jamnagar Couple Falls Prey to Movie Rating Fraud, Lose Over Rs 1 Crore; One Arrested.

The Dubai based maulana then alleged that there is an evil spirit around the complainant that wants to spoil his career. The self-proclaimed godman asked him to stop answering the calls of his girlfriend for the next few days after which he went on to ask for money.

The cop further said that under different pretexts like performing a ritual, the maulana kept asking him for more money. Till January 23, 2023, the gym trainer had already spent Rs 1.99 lakh. However, on January 26, the maulana got in touch with the complainant again and asked him for more money for conducting a ritual of sacrificing eight goats.

It was after this that the complainant discussed the matter with his friends and relatives and realised that he had been duped. He went to the cops to lodge a complaint. Cops have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to cheating on Wednesday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 07, 2023 09:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).