67-year-old duped of Rs 10 lakh in online parcel scam

Indore: A 67-year-old retired officer from Om Vihar Colony was duped of Rs 10 lakh by a woman whom he befriended on Facebook.The woman, posing as ‘Dr Lisa Davis from Scotland', lured the senior citizen into an online relationship before trapping him in a fake parcel scam and siphoning off Rs 10 lakh.According to Additional DCP Rajesh Dandotiya, the complainant received a friend request from the profile and gradually developed trust through regular conversations. The interaction soon escalated into what appeared to be a close friendship, laying the groundwork for the fraud.The scam took shape when the woman claimed she sent a valuable gift parcel from abroad. Shortly after, the victim began receiving calls from individuals posing as customs officials at Delhi airport. He was told that the parcel contained foreign currency and required payment of processing charges for clearance.On the pretext of legal formalities, the fraudsters repeatedly demanded money. Believing the claims to be genuine, the victim transferred funds in multiple transactions, eventually losing Rs 10.43 lakh.Suspicion arose only when the demands for money continued unabated. The victim then informed his son, following which a complaint was lodged at Aerodrome police station. Acting on the complaint, police registered a case, blocked the bank accounts where the money was transferred and initiated efforts to trace the accused.Investigators said that the modus operandi matched a growing pattern of ‘customs parcel fraud', where cybercriminals exploit emotional vulnerability and use fake identities to build trust before executing financial fraud.Police urged citizens to remain cautious while interacting with unknown individuals online and to avoid transferring money on the pretext of international parcels or customs clearance.