Facebook lottery, Dubai prince’s fund, Covid aid: Businessman falls for three cyber scams over two years, loses Rs 21 lakh

A 55-year-old Mumbai businessman dealing in leather goods fell for three different lottery and foreign aid frauds in a row and ended up paying Rs 21 lakh to a gang of cyber fraudsters who allegedly promised him crores of rupees in various fraudulent schemes.

The Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) cyber police station registered a First Information Report (FIR) on the matter on December 9.

The series of frauds began in May 2020 with the complainant receiving a WhatsApp message stating he had won the Facebook star lottery worth Rs 22 lakh. To win his trust, the fraudsters allegedly sent him a photo of a fake cheque with his name and lottery amount.