NEW DELHI: In two separate incidents in the city, two elderly women were duped of Rs 45 lakh by scammers posing as relatives and friends.
In the first case, an 88-year-old woman living in northwest Delhi told cops that she received a phone call from an unknown person claiming to be a relative. The caller identified himself as Bittu and said he was sending 16 lakh rupees to the woman; however, the transfer would take a day.
“Later, he called again, asking me to urgently transfer Rs 4 lakh to his visa agent. Thinking he was stuck somewhere, I sent the money from two of my bank accounts. However, when he demanded more money, I called my brother in Ludhiana to confirm about Bittu, only to realise that the person was a fraud,” the elderly said. Based on her complaint, a case was registered on March 14.
Another victim, a 69-year-old resident of Hauz Khas, told cops that a woman from Saraswati Vihar had met her about three years ago. They became friends, and the elderly allowed her new friend to come home. She visited her a few times and, during her last visit in March 2023, she also brought her son, Sarthak (also known as Aze or Azu). She told the woman that Sarthak was going to Canada.
“One day, I was asleep at home when I received a call from an unknown number. The caller posed as Aze and claimed to be in Canada. I asked him how he got my number, to which he said his mother gave it to him. I didn’t believe him and asked him about our meeting in March last year. He described the details of my house and the place where we sat during the visit. Finally, I asked him the reason for the urgent call,” the complainant said.
The caller said he just wanted to check up on the woman and abruptly hung up the call. Soon after, the phone rang up again, but this time for the money to help his friend’s “grandmother” in Mumbai. The caller also promised to pay the money back. Another WhatsApp call followed, supposedly from his friend “Raushan,” who sent the woman a few pictures and a plea for his grandmother’s hospitalisation. The victim sent the money.
Later, he called the woman again, claiming a fight in Canada had landed him in jail. He begged the woman not to inform his mother. She received another call from a person claiming to be Aze’s lawyer, who demanded money for his release. The woman again sent the money, but the demands did not stop here. Finally, she called Aze’s mother, who revealed that his son was in Canada but free. The victim realised she’d been scammed, police said. A case was filed on March 15.
