Udupi: A 62-year-old chef from Udupi fell victim to an online fraud after being lured into a fake friendship on WhatsApp by a woman posing as a London-based entrepreneur.The complainant stated that he came into contact with a woman named Emilda William through WhatsApp, who introduced herself as a resident of London. The two engaged in regular chats, during which Emilda claimed she ran cosmetic and hotel businesses in India and expressed her intention to visit Mangaluru to meet him. On April 7, she sent him a flight ticket from London to Delhi via WhatsApp.On April 8, at 10am, while the complainant was at home, he received a call from a woman who informed him that his friend Emilda William had arrived at the Delhi airport carrying a demand draft worth Rs 5 crore and excess luggage. The caller instructed him to immediately pay Rs 70,000 as clearance charges. Subsequently, Emilda William also spoke to him over the phone, crying and requesting help. Believing the situation, the complainant transferred Rs 69,400 via a scanner from his account. Later, upon further demands for Rs 40,000, he sent Rs 20,000 more and an additional Rs 18,400 from his relative’s account, totalling Rs 1,13,300. A case was registered at Udupi Town police station under Sections 318(4) of the BNS Act and 66(D) of the IT Act.
