PUNE: The Pimpri Chinchwad police are investigating a 32-year-old software engineer’s complaint that an ‘NRI woman’ he came in contact through a matrimonial website for divorcees and her accomplice duped him of Rs14.32lakh between July and August over “paying customs charges and fines for foreign currency she brought with her from abroad”.
The complainant had initially reported the matter to the cyber police for verification following which the Chikhli police registered a formal FIR on Monday.
Police said during chats, the ‘NRI woman’ told the complainant that she wanted to visit India. Later, another woman called and represented herself as customs official. She told the complainant that his `NRI friend’ had been detained at the Delhi airport with a substantial amount of UK Pound Sterling and need to pay the charges and fines for the same.
Following talks with the two women, the complainant made three transfers to the accounts given by them, but when they asked for more, he sensed something fishy and approached the police. Cybercrime cell’s investigating officer and assistant inspector Pramila Kshirsagar told TOI, “While working from home during the pandemic, the complainant had serious differences with his wife, and they decided to separate. He registered himself with a matrimonial website for divorcees. In July, the `NRI woman’ contacted him and evinced interest in his profile.”
The officer said that in total, the complainant transferred Rs14.32lakh to the fraudsters. Kshirsagar said that the probe has so far revealed that the amount was transferred to three bank accounts in New Delhi. “We have obtained the details of the account holders. Our probe is on,” she said.
