Ahmedabad: A bank employee was allegedly cheated of Rs 48 lakh by a man who befriended her on social media and posed as a professional living in the UK. According to a complaint filed with cybercrime police, the accused contacted the woman in Feb through a social media platform and introduced himself as an acquaintance of one of her relatives.Claiming to be based in London, he gained her trust through regular chats and calls. During conversations, the accused said he was interested in buying a house in Ahmedabad and discussed a property deal worth about Rs 2 crore. He told the victim that he would be travelling to India, and sent copies of flight tickets and other documents, including identification details and certificates, to appear credible.The accused then told the woman that he did not have a bank account in India and needed help transferring foreign currency, the complaint states. He cited expenses such as currency exchange fees and taxes, and asked her to send money to multiple bank accounts to complete the process.Believing him, the victim transferred Rs 40.48 lakh in several instalments between March 2 and March 12 to accounts provided by the accused. Police said the total losses amounted to Rs 48 lakh. The fraud was discovered after the accused stopped responding, and the victim checked with her relatives, who said they did not know him.An FIR was registered with Cybercrime police. Officials said the bank accounts used in the transactions were being analysed and efforts were underway to trace the accused.
