UP teacher defrauded of Rs 32 lakh by a Facebook "friend"

New Delhi: Officials said that the Noida Police has initiated a probe after a cyber thug allegedly scammed a city resident out of Rs 42 lakh after befriending her on social media. The 32-year-old lady, who lives in Sector 45 and works as a teacher, said police she befriended the man on Facebook and fell for the con trap after numerous discussions.

"After a few days of talks, he requested my address," she said in a complaint to the nearby Sector 39 police station. I initially declined, but after his persistent solicitations, I agreed."

"Then, a few days later, I got a call from a woman saying that a parcel from Mumbai had arrived at her office." It's under my name and contains gold jewellery, wrist watches, and cash worth Rs 50 lakh to Rs 55 lakh. "However, I must pay a processing charge in order for the item to be cleared," she asserted. The victim claimed she eventually paid the conman Rs 42 lakh before realising she had been duped.

According to police officials, the woman paid the money online in six installments over a 45-day period and even took out a loan to do so. According to a local police official, an FIR has been filed in the matter based on the woman's charge of fraud and the requirements of the Information Technology Act. While the identity of the person behind the Facebook account is unknown, the police named "Aarti" as an accused in the FIR because the lady who called the victim on the phone identified herself with that name, according to the source.

According to the official, the investigation into the situation is continuing. Meanwhile, police officials warned citizens against internet scams and urged them to report them immediately to the specialised helpline number 155260.

A woman in Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli district was recently scammed of Rs 32 lakh by a guy she had befriended on social media in a similar scam. Last week, Raebareli police claimed to have busted the case by apprehending three Nigerian nationals who were members of a group operating in Delhi's outskirts, according to sources.