Cyber fraudsters use fake foreign identities to conduct love scams in India

Authorities in India are investigating a series of cyber frauds involving individuals using fake foreign identities to build romantic relationships on social media before extorting money from victims.

In one instance in Mumbai, a 34-year-old woman was defrauded after an individual posing as a UK citizen on Instagram promised to send gifts via cargo shipping. The scammer, claiming to be a customs official, coerced the victim into paying 4.29 lakh rupees to receive the items, followed by a demand for an additional 5.69 lakh rupees for income tax purposes.

In a separate case, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force arrested 37-year-old Nigerian national Nwogu Osinachi in Delhi. Osinachi is accused of using a fake Facebook profile under the name Doris William to build trust with a victim in Lucknow. The suspect allegedly claimed to be a British citizen sending gifts and foreign currency to India. When the victim was told the parcel was intercepted by customs, the fraudsters impersonated customs and tax officials to demand payments for duties and taxes, ultimately defrauding the victim of approximately 68 lakh rupees.