Bhiwandi, July 25, 2026: A 26-year-old homemaker from Bhiwandi was allegedly duped of Rs 22.40 lakh by cyber fraudsters who lured her family with the promise of an expensive gift parcel from London and later extorted money under the pretext of customs clearance charges.
The Nizampura Police have registered an FIR under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched an investigation into the international cyber fraud racket.
A sophisticated online fraud involving a fake overseas gift has left a Bhiwandi family poorer by Rs 22,40,997, prompting the Nizampura Police to register a cyber fraud case against an unidentified accused identified only as Faraz Rajput and his associates.
Victim Lured Through Social Media
According to the FIR, the complainant, Zulfana Imran Mulla (26), a homemaker residing in Bhander Mohalla, Bhiwandi, alleged that the fraud took place between April 8 and April 16, 2026. The case was registered in the early hours of July 23 after she approached the police with documentary evidence of the financial transactions.
Police said 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 clothes, jewellery, and other 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.
Payments Made In Multiple Transactions
Initially, the complainant transferred Rs 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 FIR records that the victim made dozens of transfers between April 9 and April 16, with individual payments ranging from a few thousand rupees to Rs 1 lakh. The cumulative amount allegedly siphoned off by the fraudsters totalled Rs 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.
Police Probe Underway
Based on the complaint, the Nizampura Police registered an FIR under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, along with Sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, relating to cheating by personation using electronic means and common intention.
Police Inspector Samadhan Suresh Patil has been assigned to investigate the case. Officials are examining the bank accounts, mobile numbers, digital payment trails, and social media accounts used in the fraud to identify the accused and trace the money.
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Investigators suspect the fraud to be part of an organised cybercrime network that targets victims through social media by offering expensive overseas gifts and subsequently extracting money in the name of customs duty, taxes, and clearance charges.
Police have urged citizens not to transfer money to unknown persons claiming to send gifts from abroad without verifying the authenticity of such claims.
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