Mumbai Crime: Andheri woman asked by 'UK returnee' to pay for COVID-19 test, duped of Rs 6 lakh

Photo for representational purpose

A 28-year-old HR manager from Andheri (East) was duped of Rs 6 lakh by a ‘UK-based' man who asked her for the money to pay for an RT-PCR test at the Delhi airport. The man claimed to be one Hardan Gunbir from UK. He had befriended the HR professional on a marriage portal.

The accused called the victim and told her he had flown to India to meet her and said he had been stopped at the Delhi airport and asked to undergo the COVID-19 test and the yellow fever test. He said that these were mandatory for all flyers coming to India from the UK and claimed to have no Indian currency to pay for the tests, states a report in The Times of India.

The fraudster then made the victim transfer money to different bank accounts. He said he would compensate her by depositing a cheque of Rs 1 crore in her account.

The victim realised she had been duped after the man demanded another Rs 3.5 lakh citing a different reason after she had transferred Rs 6 lakh.

She lodged a complaint with the police on December 26. "We have sought details to learn about the money trail from the four banks, including two nationalised ones, to which the victim transferred the money," a police officer said.

"These banks have been asked to freeze the accounts. The probe is on to know whether money was withdrawn from any part of the country," added the officer.