Thu Sep 12 00:33:25 UTC 2024: ## Mumbai Woman Duped of Rs 1.46 Lakh in Customs Fraud Scam

**Mumbai:** A woman in Mumbai has fallen victim to a sophisticated online scam, losing Rs 1.46 lakh to fraudsters posing as customs officials. The incident came to light on Wednesday after the woman filed a complaint with the Cybercrime (south) Police Station.

According to the complaint, the woman befriended a man on Instagram who claimed to be living in Europe and wanted to learn Hindi. The man later offered to send her gifts from his country, even though she refused. Soon after, the woman received a call from an unknown number in a language she didn’t understand, followed by a message stating that a package was ready for delivery at Mumbai International Airport.

The message further instructed her to pay a Rs 50,000 clearance fee to the customs department. When she refused, she was threatened that the package could not be returned. The fraudsters then demanded additional payments of Rs 96,000 for insurance and income tax, and eventually, Rs 1.70 lakh more.

It was only after these repeated demands that the woman realized she was being scammed and approached the police. An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the cyber police are currently investigating the matter.

This case highlights the growing threat of online scams and the importance of being vigilant about suspicious interactions on social media platforms.

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