Woman posing as doctor dupes another woman of Rs 10 crore in cancer research scam

Mumbai: In another shocking fraud case reported in the city, a woman posing as a doctor is accused of duping another woman of approximately Rs 10 crore by falsely claiming to be conducting clinical research on cancer treatment at the DY Patil Medical College in Navi Mumbai. It is reported that the accused lured the woman into funding her fraud project under the pretext of high returns with interest.

The complainant claimed that the accused convinced her to invest in her supposed research, promising to double the investment along with a monthly interest of 4% to 5%. Further, she alleged that she received a refund of Rs 1.8 crore from the accused; however, she argued that it was merely the amount she had invested and did not receive the actual sum nor any additional amount.

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Later, it was revealed that the money given to the accused was never actually invested in research but rather for personal benefits. The police investigating the case suspect that the accused is involved in a similar modus operandi and has duped several other people. Therefore, they booked the accused based on the woman's complaint. 

According to the police, the accused introduced herself as a doctor to the woman, an Andheri West resident, adding that she was doing clinical research at D Y Patil Medical College in Navi Mumbai. Her research, based on identifying treatment methods for cancer, needed urgent funding. Therefore, the accused cleverly lured the woman into investing in her project. 

However, the details about how the two met and the complainant’s profession were not mentioned in the FIR. The woman, convinced by the accused's fake scheme, transferred Rs 10 crore to three bank accounts of the accused- ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and IndusInd Bank. These transactions took place between October 30, 2023 and September 7, 2024, reports Free Press Journal. 

Further, the complainant in her FIR, as reported by the Indian Express, stated, “The accused, in the name of clinical research work, accepted money from me and used it for self-gain, breached my trust, and defrauded other people and me."

After she failed to obtain a refund from the accused, she approached the Amboli police and a case was registered under sections 318(4) (cheating) and 316(2) (criminal breach of trust) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Following this, the accused has been booked, and an investigation is underway to nab her.