Woman poses as top TV executive, cons bizman
A 34- year- old woman, who used to dupe people by claiming to be the vice- president of a leading English news channel, was arrested, said the police on Thursday.
The woman, Payal Samuel, was caught from Mumbai on August 15 and brought to Delhi, it added.
She was arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged by Ravi Patel. He runs a leading travel agency in the city. He alleged that she had defrauded him to the tune of ` 30 lakh within one- and- a- half month by purchasing domestic as well as international air tickets, investing in foreign exchange, making hotel bookings, etc., the police said.
Samuel approached Mr Patel on June 9 by giving reference of one of his acquaintances. She posed as the vice- president of an English news channel.
As inducement, she offered huge business worth crores to the complainant. However, when he demanded his money, she started delaying the payment on frivolous excuses, the police said.
Suspecting her conduct, Mr Patel and his suppliers made an online background check on her and found out that she had been making false claims. They found various news articles about her. According to those, she had cheated several businessmen in Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh using similar tactics. Subsequently, the complainant approached the crime branch and filed a complaint on April 21, said ACP ( Crime) Rajiv Ranjan.
To evade arrest, the accused woman kept changing her locations frequently between Pune and Mumbai, he said.
On the basis of technical input, a trap was laid and she was nabbed on the evening of August 15 in Mumbai and was brought to Delhi.
The police is trying to identify her other associates.