FARIDABAD — Shakti Singh Lumba, a retired pilot with a taste for adventure, thought he’d hit the jackpot: a chance to meet Elon Musk, the world’s richest man. Instead, he lost Rs 72,16,000 to a cunning web of fraudsters who spun a tale too good to be true.
It began with a message on social media. A woman calling herself Anna Sherman, claiming to manage affairs for Musk’s empire, reached out to Lumba. She dangled the ultimate lure: an exclusive connection to the Tesla titan. Soon, she directed him to an X account under the name Maye Musk—purportedly Elon’s mother.
The impersonator playing Maye was convincing. Through a string of exchanges, she built Lumba’s trust, assuring him he was chatting with the real deal.
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“The relationship developed in a way that left me unsuspecting,” Lumba, a Faridabad resident, told reporters.
A Costly Leap of Faith
Lumba took the bait, wiring an initial Rs 2,91,000 to the scammers. They kept him hooked with promises of soaring returns, urging him to pour in more. At one point, a fraudster posing as Musk himself upped the ante, sending Lumba a photo of a gleaming Rolex watch—a “gift” supposedly en route.
Blinded by the dazzle of it all, Lumba kept investing, watching his contributions balloon to Rs 72,16,000. But when he tried to cash out, the illusion crumbled. “I couldn’t withdraw a dime,” he said. “They told me the company’s account was frozen—and that Elon would repay me in person when he visited India.”
The final twist came when the scammers demanded even more money to “unlock” his funds. That’s when Lumba smelled a rat.
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A Trail of Hope and a Police Probe
Defrauded but determined, Lumba turned to the authorities. “I sent my money to Indian accounts,” he said, clinging to hope. “I have full faith the Cyber Crime Branch will recover it.”
Police have leapt into action, registering a case at the local cyber station. “We’re investigating,” a senior officer confirmed, though details remain sparse as the hunt for the culprits begins.
For Lumba, the sting of betrayal cuts deep. What started as a dream encounter with a billionaire icon ended in a financial nightmare—one that underscores the perils of trusting too much in a digital age ruled by deception.
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