Aussie cheated of $95K by city gang

An Australian national was duped to the tune of $95,000 by a three-member gang based in Hyderabad, including a Nigerian national.

The gang ‘honey trapped’ Mr Gregory David, 60, on a dating website by using the fake profile of a woman who called herself ‘Sarah Haimish’.

The Australian national fell in love with the person purportedly behind the profile. The gang told the Australian that ‘she’ was also an Australian national and was supplying gems and fabrics in India.

The suspects were identified as Nigerian national Mohammad Hassani Barua and Mohsin Agha from the city.

The cyber crime wing the CID arrested the duo; their woman accomplice is absconding. Police froze `20 lakh in the bank account of the suspects.

A CID officials said that Mr David, a retired sewerage mechanic from Australia, had met ‘Sarah’ on a dating site a few months ago. They became close while chatting with each other, and decided to get married.

‘Sarah’ told Mr David that she was supposed to get $2.1 million from the government on which she had to pay $95,000. She could marry him after that, she claimed. She gave him a current account number of Axis Bank.

After paying up, Mr David reached Hyderabad on Wednesday and tried to contact ‘Sarah” but there was no response. He went to the police.

The cyber crime found that account belonged to Agha, 29, an agent of a money transfer firm. On interrogation, he revealed the role of Nigerian nationa Mohammad Hassani Barua, 31, who is on a student visa. He said Barua had used his account for the money transfer.