Bhiwandi Woman Loses ₹22.40 Lakh In Fake London Gift Scam

A 26-year-old homemaker from Bhiwandi was allegedly duped of ₹22.40 lakh by cyber fraudsters who promised her family an expensive gift parcel from London. The fraudsters then extorted money under the pretext of customs clearance charges.

The Nizampura Police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. An investigation into the international cyber fraud racket has been launched.

The victim, Zulfana Imran Mulla, alleged that the fraud took place between April 8 and April 16, 2026. The case was registered on July 23 after she approached the police with documentary evidence of the financial transactions.

The scam began when the complainant's husband, Imran Mulla, came across a Facebook profile of a person identifying himself as Faraz Rajput. The accused allegedly initiated contact through WhatsApp using a Pakistani mobile number and claimed he wished to send the family expensive gifts from London on the occasion of their wedding anniversary.

Believing the offer to be genuine, the family allegedly shared Aadhaar details as requested by the accused. Soon afterwards, another person posing as a customs officer contacted the complainant from an Indian mobile number and informed her that the parcel had reached Mumbai airport but could only be released after payment of customs duty and other clearance charges.

The complainant transferred ₹12,000 towards the so-called customs fee. However, the fraudsters repeatedly demanded additional payments, claiming the parcel contained valuable items that attracted higher customs charges. They also allegedly threatened that legal action would be initiated against the family if the payments were not made immediately.

Fearing arrest and believing the claims, the complainant transferred money into several bank accounts through online banking and ATM deposits over multiple transactions. The cumulative amount allegedly siphoned off by the fraudsters totalled ₹22,40,997.

After receiving the money, the accused allegedly stopped responding to calls and messages. Realising that no parcel had ever been dispatched and that they had fallen victim to cyber fraud, the family approached the police and lodged a complaint.

The police are currently investigating the case and have registered an FIR against an unidentified accused identified only as Faraz Rajput and his associates.

This incident highlights the need for people to be cautious when dealing with online transactions and to verify the authenticity of offers before sharing personal details or making payments.

The Bhiwandi police have advised residents to be vigilant and to report any suspicious activities to the authorities immediately.

The case is a reminder of the growing threat of cyber fraud and the importance of taking measures to protect oneself from such scams.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in cyber fraud cases in India, with many people losing large amounts of money to scams.

The police are working to crack down on these scams and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The incident has caused concern among residents of Bhiwandi, who are now more cautious when dealing with online transactions.

The police have assured the public that they are doing everything possible to prevent such incidents and to protect the citizens from cyber fraud.

The case is under investigation, and the police are working to track down the accused and to recover the lost amount.

The incident serves as a warning to people to be careful when dealing with online transactions and to verify the authenticity of offers before making any payments.