Mumbai: Cyber Police Arrest Two Suspects In Scam Targeting Female Fashion Designer In Mumbai
Vile Parle, 28th October 2023: In a significant breakthrough, the Western Regional Division’s Cyber Police have apprehended two individuals accused of swindling a female fashion designer in Mumbai. Authorities suspect that the arrested duo may have targeted numerous victims using similar tactics.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Sumit Gupta (36) and Partha Panchal (25). Gupta hails from Kanjurmarg, while Panchal resides in Badlapur. The victim, a 46-year-old woman residing in Vile Parle, reported the scam to police, leading to the registration of a case by the Western Regional Cyber Police on April 7.
The scheme began when a woman named Divya contacted the complainant fashion designer. Divya enticed her with the promise of lucrative earnings through YouTube marketing. After the victim’s agreement, she was provided with a link that led her to a Telegram channel.
To build trust, a small sum was initially deposited into the victim’s bank account after she liked a promotional video. Subsequently, the scammers encouraged her to invest further through an e-wallet, promising a 30 to 40 percent return on her investment. The victim complied and witnessed apparent profits accumulating within her virtual account.
However, when she attempted to transfer her earnings from the e-wallet to her bank account, she encountered difficulties. Upon questioning the fraudsters, she was informed that an error needed rectification and that additional funds should be deposited into the e-wallet to release the promised amount.
As she complied and contributed more money, the victim eventually realised that she had fallen victim to a scam. By that point, she had lost a substantial amount, totalling Rs. 10 lakh 67 thousand.
Following the victim’s complaint, a case was registered under the Prevention of Information Technology Act. The illicit funds had been deposited into the accounts of both suspects. Notably, Panchal had previously been apprehended by the Gujarat Police in connection with fraud, and authorities have since frozen Rs. 6,00,000 in the suspects’ accounts.
