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Widow Loses Lakhs to Fake Dry Fruit Scam
7 Oct
Summary
- Elderly widow lost over Rs 11 lakh in a sophisticated online shopping scam.
- Scammer gained remote access to her phone, deleting vital transaction records.
- The victim made 13 fraudulent transfers over ten days before realizing the fraud.
An elderly widow in Mumbai, aged 79, has fallen victim to an elaborate online scam, losing Rs 11.7 lakh. The incident began when she ordered dry fruits worth Rs 248 from a link advertised on WhatsApp on September 12, 2026. After failing to receive confirmation, she contacted a customer care number provided, leading to a fraudulent WhatsApp call.
The scammer reportedly gained remote access to her mobile phone, subsequently deleting transaction records, messages, and contact details. Exploiting her fear of losing money, the fraudster convinced her to make 13 separate bank transfers between September 12 and September 22, 2026. These transfers, totaling Rs 11.7 lakh, were made from savings accumulated by her late husband.
West Cyber police have registered an FIR against an unknown perpetrator. Efforts are underway to trace the individual responsible and to freeze the accounts that received the illicit funds. The victim's son, residing in the US, has been informed of the situation.
