Pune: A 60-year-old senior executive of a private company in Pune city allegedly lost over Rs 3.98 crore to online fraudsters who lured her through social media platforms, police said on Thursday. She was cheated on the pretext of receiving, jewellery, foreign currency and an iPhone.

An FIR in this case is registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station of Pune City Police. According to the police officials, the woman lost over Rs 3.98 crore in 207 transactions to 27 different accounts over the last few months.

WHAT IS THE EXACT CASE

According to the police, the woman received a friend request on a social media platform from Britain in April last year. The user posed as the one working at a prominent position. After befriending her and gaining her confidence in span of five months. The duo started chatting on the WhatsApp. On the occasion of the complainant’s birthday, the user told her that an iPhone has been sent to her as a birthday gift. Days later, the user made asked her to big amount on the pretext of customs clearance for the gift at Delhi International Airport.

Later, the complainant was asked to pay more money in order to receive jewellery and foreign currency sent to her as a gift. In as many as 207 transactions from bank accounts, the complainant transferred whopping Rs 3,98,75,500 to online fraudsters. The police further informed, the transactions have started from September last year and the last one transaction was made in the first week of this month.

After realising that she had been duped for nearly Rs 4 crore, she approached the cyber cell of the Pune Police. The police have registered the case under sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion) of the Indian Penal Code and the relevant sections of the Information and Technology Act.