Woman duped of Rs 22 lakh by `Facebook friend’

A 36-year-old woman from Thane city was allegedly cheated of Rs 22.67 lakh by a person who had befriended her on Facebook, police said on Friday. A case in this regard was registered on Thursday, said an official.

The woman, who works as an online executive, got a friendship request from a man in February 2022, she told police.

After they started chatting online regularly, the man told her that he needed money urgently for his mother’s treatment. The woman obliged him by sending him money. This happened on multiple occasions, as per the woman.

She allegedly paid him Rs 7,25,000 and also gave him jewellery worth Rs 15,42,688. When she asked him to pay her back, he began to avoid her, following which the woman approached police.

A case under Indian Penal Code section 406 (criminal breach of trust) was registered at Vartak Nagar police station and further probe is on. No arrest has been made so far.