The man and the woman had met on an online matrimonial portal. (Representational)
A 38-year-old woman working with a consultancy firm here in Thane was allegedly duped of Rs 7.3 lakh by a UK-based man whom she befriended on a matrimonial portal, police said.
The complainant, who is separated from her husband and lives with her parents told police that she became friends with the man a few months ago, while she was going through a matrimonial site. The man identified himself as Donald William from London.
He later told the woman that he had sent her a gift parcel and she could take it by making certain payment to a courier company, Thane police spokesperson Sukhada Narkar said.
The woman alleged that between June 17 and August 9 this year, the accused asked her to make payments several times worth Rs 7.3 lakh to the courier firm on various pretexts, like customs clearance of gifts sent by him and wrong labelling of the parcels, Mr Narkar said.
The accused also told her once that he had arrived in New Delhi but was indisposed and so, could not meet her. However, when the woman did not receive any gift parcel and the accused stopped communicating with her.
Based on her complaint, the police registered a case against the man and two others working with a Delhi-based firm.
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