A man and a woman duped the 69-year-old through Facebook of Rs 57.36 lakh. (Representational)
A 69-year-old woman from Vasai in Palghar district of Maharashtra was allegedly duped of Rs 57.36 lakh by two people through social media, the police said today.
The woman, in her complaint to the police, said a man, who identified himself as Leo Jovha, befriended her on Facebook last month. "He said he was a resident of Scotland and worked as a pilot with a British airline," Palghar police spokesperson Sachin Navadkar said.
The man told the woman that he wanted to purchase two acres of land in an industrial area in her name and said he would send money for the same, the official added.
"Soon, the woman received a call from another woman, who identified herself as Joshila, who told her that a courier has landed at the airport, but held up for clearance. The caller said that as the amount is huge, the victim has to pay the government taxes to get the money," the official said.
Over time, the accused kept calling the woman and asked her to deposit money into different bank accounts. She was asked to pay a total of Rs 57.36 lakh, the police said.
Later, when the woman tried to establish contact, both the accused were unreachable, following which she approached the police and filed a complaint.
According to the police official, a case under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 34 (common intention) was registered, but no arrest has been made in this connection till now.