Mumbai Woman Defrauded of ₹24 Lakh on Instagram

A 31-year-old woman from Mahim, Mumbai, was defrauded of ₹24.07 lakh by an Instagram friend who posed as a senior official from MSC Cruises. The scam began in February when the woman received a friend request from a man named Torres Neil, who claimed to be working in the UK. After establishing trust through regular communication, Neil said he was sending her a gift parcel containing £300,000, for which she needed to pay a series of 'clearing fees' to customs. Between March 28 and June 14, the woman was coerced into making multiple payments to fake customs officials until she realized she had been cheated upon being asked for an additional ₹2 lakh. The police have registered a case of fraud, impersonation, and cyber fraud, suspecting the involvement of a Nigerian syndicate in the scam. Investigations are ongoing, focusing on the bank transactions related to the case.