Man duped of ₹1.9 lakh by fraudster posing as relative

A 37-year-old resident of Edi Bazar was duped of ₹1.9 lakh by a fraudster posing as his nephew living in Saudi Arabia. The case unfolded on June 25 and involved the use of familiar photographs and WhatsApp messages to gain the victim’s trust.

The fraudster claimed to be sending money to the victim for safekeeping and requested his bank account number, mobile number, and IFSC code. After receiving the details, the fraudster shared a fake Citi Bank voucher as proof of the transfer. He then introduced an ‘agent’, citing problems with his passport and visa.

Claiming that the agent needed ₹1.1 lakh to resolve these issues, the fraudster convinced the victim to transfer ₹1 lakh via UPI. Further demands followed, with assurances that the requested sums would be deducted from the funds already sent. Under this belief, the victim made additional transfers of ₹50,000 and ₹40,000.

Only after realising that the money had not been received did the victim approach the Cybercrime Wing of Hyderabad Police to lodge a complaint.