A 70-year-old retired teacher from Mumbai, who lost ₹70,000 in a cyber fraud, was allegedly duped again after she went online looking for help to recover the money.
Cybercriminals allegedly lured her with promises of helping her recover the lost amount and subsequently made her transfer more than ₹14.38 lakh under various pretexts, including taxes, GST, fees and legal expenses. The woman lives alone in the Mulund area. The Eastern Region Cyber Police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation.
How The First ₹70,000 Fraud Took Place
According to police, the woman was first targeted in September 2025. She received a friend request on social media from an unknown man who introduced himself as Dr Krishna Mohan, a urologist based in Florida. To gain her confidence, the accused allegedly sent her a copy of an American passport on September 26. The two then began communicating regularly.
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The accused allegedly told the woman that he was travelling to Dubai but was unable to withdraw cash because of US regulations. He asked her for ₹15,000 as financial assistance. The woman transferred the amount to an account provided by him. He later claimed that he had been stopped at Delhi airport and needed money to pay Customs duties because he was carrying US dollars. The woman allegedly transferred another ₹55,000 to him. In this way, she lost a total of ₹70,000 in the first fraud.
The fraudsters then allegedly brought another person into the scheme, who contacted the woman while posing as a Customs official. He claimed that Dr Mohan had arrived in India carrying around $40,000 in cash, worth approximately ₹37.79 lakh in Indian currency. The alleged fake official told her that a penalty had to be paid for carrying such a large amount of cash and demanded ₹1.55 lakh from her. This time, the woman became suspicious and refused to make any further payment.
Online Search For Recovery Opens Another Trap
However, her attempt to recover the ₹70,000 lost in the first fraud eventually brought her into contact with another group of cybercriminals. In July 2026, she began searching online for services that claimed to help cybercrime victims recover their money. During the search, she came across an advertisement for a company named ‘Luthra & Luthra Company’, which claimed to assist victims in recovering money lost in cybercrime. She contacted the number mentioned in the advertisement.
According to police, a man who spoke to her assured her that he could help recover her ₹70,000. He also claimed that he had spoken to an officer of the Reserve Bank of India who would guide them through the process. The woman was then allegedly asked to pay ₹10,000 for opening an account and another ₹71,000 towards GST. She made both payments, but the alleged fraudsters stopped responding afterward.
Fake Officials Promise Access To ₹6.92 Lakh
Despite this setback, the woman continued searching for ways to recover her money. Some time later, she came across another social media advertisement under the name ‘Cyber Victim Support’. After contacting the number provided, she received a call from a man who introduced himself as a special advocate. He allegedly told her that a case had been registered against her with the Delhi Cyber Police.
Another man subsequently contacted her while posing as a Delhi Cyber Police officer. He allegedly claimed that the money involved in the original fraud had been invested in a wealth management company in her name. The accused also sent her documents that appeared to show an investment account containing ₹6.92 lakh. The woman allegedly believed that her money had been recovered and that only certain formalities remained before she could withdraw it.
When she attempted to withdraw the amount shown in the account, the fraudsters allegedly began demanding more payments under different pretexts. They asked for money in the name of taxes, various charges and legal fees. The woman allegedly continued making payments in the belief that she would be able to withdraw the ₹6.92 lakh after completing the required formalities.
₹14.38 Lakh Transferred Before Fraud Was Exposed
By August 31, 2026, the woman had allegedly transferred a total of ₹14.38 lakh to the fraudsters. When she still could not withdraw the ₹6.92 lakh shown in the documents, she finally realised that she had been subjected to a second cyber fraud.
She subsequently approached the police. The Eastern Region Cyber Police registered a case and began investigating the matter. Investigators are examining the mobile numbers, bank accounts, digital documents and online advertisements allegedly used to target the woman. They are also trying to determine whether the first and second frauds were carried out by the same gang or by separate groups of cybercriminals.
Police Warn Against Fake Money Recovery Services
The case highlights the growing risk faced by cyber fraud victims who search online for ways to recover their lost money. Fraudsters may specifically target such victims by promising recovery of funds, legal assistance, tax clearance or access to blocked accounts, and then demand additional payments. Police advise victims not to trust unknown individuals or online advertisements claiming to recover lost money. Instead, complaints should be made directly through authorised police channels or official government mechanisms.
