Foreign Woman’s Facebook Trap: Youth Loses ₹1.98 Lakh; Another Man Duped With Fake Loan of ₹4.46 Lakh

Maharajganj: Cyber fraud incidents continue to rise in the district, with two major cases reported this week. In both cases, victims were deceived through emotional manipulation and misuse of banking systems.

Facebook Friendship Turns into ₹1.98 Lakh Fraud

A young man from Semra village under Sinduria police station became a victim of online fraud after befriending a foreign woman on Facebook in 2023. The woman claimed she wanted to visit India and later told him she was detained at Delhi Airport with valuable items. She urged him to transfer money for her release.

Believing her story, the victim, Niklesh, transferred a total of ₹1,98,300 in multiple transactions to an account belonging to Abhishek Kumar in Noida. The money was sent through accounts of the victim, his elder brother, and his sister-in-law. After receiving the funds, the woman blocked him on both Facebook and WhatsApp.

Realizing he had been duped, the victim approached Sinduria police. On 20 November 2025, he filed a complaint with the cyber police station, where an FIR has now been registered. Cyber police station in-charge Sajun Yadav confirmed that an investigation is underway.

Fraudsters Deposit Money, Withdraw It, Then Take Loan in Victim’s Name

In another case, Mintu, a resident of Mauja Bhuvani in Ghughli police station area, discovered that fraudsters had deposited ₹4.46 lakh into his HDFC Bank account and then withdrew ₹1 lakh through 10 quick transactions on 25 September 2025.

The remaining balance of over ₹3.46 lakh raised suspicion, and soon Mintu began receiving recovery calls. Fraudsters had taken a fake loan of ₹4.46 lakh in his name, with a monthly EMI of ₹15,269.82.

He lodged complaints with HDFC Bank and local police, and later approached the Superintendent of Police on 19 November. The cyber cell has now registered an FIR. Cyber police in-charge Sajanu Yadav said the investigation is ongoing.

Cyber Police Recoveries This Year

• July: ₹14,79,225

• August: ₹9,65,550

• September: ₹6,58,102

• October: ₹2,78,623

• November: ₹5,19,582

Police Advisory

Cyber expert Prafull Sagar warned the public against clicking unknown links or downloading APK files. He said fraudsters are misusing SIR forms by posing as BLOs and asking for OTPs. People have been urged to verify any such calls before sharing personal details.

Authorities have appealed to citizens to remain cautious online and report suspicious activities to the cyber police immediately.