A 24-year-old Mulund resident ended up paying nearly double the market price of an iPhone Pro Max, without ever receiving the phone — after falling victim to a months-long WhatsApp scam. The victim, identified as Parth Pawar, was approached via WhatsApp by a person claiming to be a sales representative of “Elite Best Company Group,” offering an iPhone 17 Pro Max at nearly half its price and promising delivery from the US.  

To gain his trust, the accused shared photographs, ID details and packaging visuals, claiming the phones were factory-sourced and unlocked for use in India. He initially paid Rs 10,000 as a booking amount. The deal quickly turned into a trap. The soon demanded additional payments under various pretexts, including shipping charges, customs duty, taxes and clearance fees, each time assuring the delivery would be completed.