Coimbatore, October 22: A woman from Coimbatore,  employed with a private firm and residing in Vadavalli with her two children, fell prey to an elaborate online scam, losing a staggering Rs 16.43 lakh to an imposter.  The unfortunate incident took place when a man pretending to be a London-based pilot approached the woman, a 32-year-old widow seeking a second marriage on social media. According to the Times of India report, the man introduced himself as Alex Anderson, a widower and pilot from London.

As their online relationship developed, the fraudulent suitor, "Alex," expressed his desire to marry her, and their communication continued. The situation took a sinister turn on September 27 when "Alex" claimed to have sent gifts worth a staggering 68 lakh to the victim. The distressing episode deepened when the victim received a call from another woman, posing as a customs official at New Delhi airport. Tamil Nadu: Man Posing As Doctor From US Dupes Woman on Pretext of Marriage, Asks Her To Pay Rs 19.5 Lakh Custom Duty Before Going Incommunicado.

This imposter demanded payments for customs clearance, resulting in the victim transferring approximately Rs 12 lakhs in several instalments to various bank accounts. Simultaneously, "Alex" informed the victim over the phone that he was in the custody of immigration officials at Delhi airport and sought an additional 4.43 lakh for immigration clearance. When the victim complied with this request, both the bogus customs official and "Alex" abruptly disconnected their phones and became unreachable. Cyber Cheat Nabbed From Tamil Nadu for Duping Defence Official on Pretext of Investment in Cryptocurrency: Delhi Police.

Realising she had fallen prey to a cruel deception, the victim lodged a formal complaint on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). City cybercrime police initiated an investigation, discovering that the victim had borrowed money from others to make payments to the scammers. The case remains under investigation as authorities work to bring the online fraudsters to justice.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 22, 2023 05:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).