Mumbai Nurse Duped in ₹1 Lakh Scam After Clicking ₹299 Dress Ad on Facebook

A nurse working at a private hospital in Mumbai was allegedly cheated of ₹1 lakh after falling for a fake online offer for a ₹299 dress, police said on Saturday.

According to an official from Deonar police station, the woman—who lives in a hostel in the city—was defrauded between April 16 and April 20.

HOW THE FRAUD UNFOLDED

The victim told police she came across a Facebook advertisement offering dresses for just ₹299. After attempting to place an order, she was contacted by the seller, who initially requested payment for the product.

However, the fraudster later kept demanding additional payments under multiple pretexts, including shipping charges, GPS tracking fees, verification codes and address confirmation.

Believing she would receive a refund along with delivery of the dress, the nurse transferred money in stages over five days, eventually losing ₹1 lakh.

REALISATION AND COMPLAINT

When the promised delivery never arrived and refunds failed to materialise, she realised she had been duped.

She then contacted the Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) and lodged a complaint. A case has been registered at Deonar police station, and an investigation has been launched.

CYBER FRAUD METHOD

Preliminary investigation suggests the scam was carried out using a Facebook advertisement, a WhatsApp number, and a fake delivery agent to build credibility and extract money in phases.

Authorities have warned users to be cautious of unusually cheap online deals and to verify sellers before making payments.