Cyber Fraud: Mumbai woman duped of Rs 50.8 lakh by man posing as Gynaecologist

Mumbai: A 74-year-old woman from Mumbai has allegedly been duped of Rs 50.8 lakh by a man posing as a New Zealand-based doctor on an international humanitarian assignment. An FIR has been registered at the south cyber police station.

The victim, a resident of Cuffe Parade, reportedly transferred Rs 50.8 lakh through 27 transactions to multiple bank accounts shared by the accused. The fraud began with a social media connection request and gradually escalated into repeated financial transfers under the pretext of medical emergencies.

According to a report by The Times of India, the woman received a Facebook friend request from a profile named, which featured a photograph of a young girl with him. The complainant said that, although she generally avoids connecting with strangers, she later “noted nothing amiss” in this case and accepted the request. Within minutes, she received a WhatsApp message from a person.

The accused introduced himself as a New Zealand national and said he was a doctor. Douglas claimed that his wife and parents had passed away and that he was raising his five-year-old daughter, Maya. He also told her that his mother was South Indian. During their conversations, he said that the United Nations had deployed him to war-torn Yemen on a three-month contract and that he was a gynaecologist performing emergency caesarean sections there.

As per complaintant, one day, the man claimed that his daughter Maya had been hospitalised after consuming contaminated birthday cake, which allegedly led to food poisoning among several children. Stating that he urgently needed funds for her treatment and that he could not access his own accounts while in Yemen, he requested financial help. The complainant initially transferred ₹30,000. 

“He sent me some bank account numbers and asked me to send money to them. Seeing the need of the situation, I again sent the money to the bank accounts. I was inquiring about his daughter's health through WhatsApp calls and chats. He said that he would come to India soon and return my money,” she said, as recorded in the FIR.

The transfers continued, and she transferred Rs 50.8 lakh over 27 separate transactions. On February 9, the accused informed her that he was suffering from typhoid and required additional funds for treatment. When she discussed the matter with her son, he suspected fraud and informed her that she had likely been duped. Attempts to contact the accused thereafter failed, as his phone was switched off.

The woman subsequently approached the police, leading to the registration of the FIR.