An 80-year-old Mumbai man was allegedly cheated of INR 8.7 crore over two years by four women, possibly the same person using multiple online identities, through 734 transactions.
According to reports, the scam began in April 2023 when the victim connected with a woman named Sharvi on Facebook. She claimed she had separated from her husband and needed money for her children’s medical treatment.
Over the following months, three more women, identified as Kavita, Dinaz, and Jasmine, contacted the man via WhatsApp. Each presented different stories and appealed for financial assistance. The fraud took a dramatic turn when Dinaz told the victim that Sharvi had died. She demanded money to cover hospital expenses and allegedly threatened to take her own life if he refused.
By January 2025, the elderly man had exhausted his savings and even borrowed money from his son and daughter-in-law to continue sending funds. Suspicion arose when his son noticed the repeated transfers. After confronting him, the family realised he had fallen prey to a cyber scam.
The discovery left the man severely shocked. He was hospitalised and later diagnosed with dementia. A cybercrime case was registered on July 22, and police investigations are underway to identify those behind the scam.