Woman duped of Rs 83 lakh, two booked

A 40-year-old aspiring businesswoman from Bhayandar lost Rs 82.5o lakh after falling prey to a scam involving cyber criminals promising double profit on the export of a rare Indian herbal oil to a top pharmaceutical company in United Kingdom.

An FIR under sections 419 and 420 of the IPC has been registered at the Navghar police station against two people who had identified as Betty Jones and Kusum Choudhary. According to her complaint, the woman, a resident of Bhayandar (e), came into contact with Betty Jones on a social media platform while she was employed in Sharjah in 2017. They soon became friends.

Jones lured her to venture into a profitable business involving export of a rare oil which was produced in Uttarakhand.

The victim was assured that the oil she would buy at $250 could be exported to the UK firm for $ 600 per litre.

Aspiring to start her own business, the woman fell for the trap and as per Jone’s instructions, placed an order of two litres after transferring Rs. 3.30 lakh from her bank account after speaking to a woman who identified herself as Kusum Choudhary.

To win her confidence, Choudhary delivered the oil to the victim’s flat in

The accused promised the woman double profit on the export of a rare herbal oil to a pharma company in UK

Bhayandar. The victim flew back home and as instructed took the oil to a specified location in Powai where an unidentified man took samples under the pretext of testing its purity.

A few days later the victim was told that the samples had passed the test and soon the UK company would place an order. Subsequently, Jones convinced the victim to buy 50 ltr of oil for which she deposited Rs 82.50 lakh in various accounts.

Although she received the oil after payments, both Jones and Choudhary stopped answering her calls. Realizing she was duped, a complaint was registered at the Navghar police station. Sensing the gravity of the case, SP. Dr. Mahesh Patil has directed the Local Crime Branch unit to investigate the case in association with the Cyber Cell.