Gwalior Man Loses Rs 1.23 Lakh in Online Scam by Fake London Tourist

A 38-year-old contractor in Gwalior, Kamalkant Yadav, lost Rs 1.23 lakh in a cyber fraud operation allegedly conducted by impersonators on Facebook and WhatsApp. Police said the accused posed as a London-based woman named 'Lucky Charles,' later identifying herself as 'Dr Patricia,' who claimed she planned to visit India with 95,000 British pounds and needed help converting the funds.

The scam unfolded between April 24 and April 27, when Yadav was contacted by another woman claiming to be a Mumbai Airport official. She demanded payment of customs and registration fees to release the non-existent foreign currency. Yadav transferred Rs 38,500 initially and later sent additional amounts totaling Rs 1.23 lakh across multiple bank accounts.

The victim reported the fraud after being asked to pay an additional Rs 70,000. He contacted cyber helpline 1930 and filed a complaint with Jhansi Road Police Station, which registered an E-Zero FIR against unidentified suspects. Inspector Shakti Singh confirmed the investigation is ongoing and urged the public to verify online contacts before financial transactions.

Authorities are analyzing digital evidence to trace the accused, while cybercrime officials continue to monitor similar fraudulent patterns. The court will take cognizance of the FIR, and further legal steps will follow based on investigation findings.