Team Goemkarponn
SALCETE: A woman from Salcete was allegedly cheated of ₹3.38 lakh after an unknown person befriended her on Instagram, developed an online relationship and fraudulently obtained money on the pretext of financial hardship.
According to Margao Town Police, the complainant, whose identity has been withheld, stated that between March 18 and May 31, 2026, she received an Instagram friend request from the accused, which she accepted.
Police said the accused gradually developed an online relationship with the complainant through Instagram chats before exchanging mobile numbers. He allegedly claimed to be facing various personal financial difficulties and repeatedly sought monetary assistance.
Believing the representations to be genuine, the complainant transferred a total of ₹3,38,000 through multiple UPI transactions to different bank accounts and UPI IDs as instructed by the accused.
Despite receiving the money, the accused allegedly never met the complainant and failed to return the amount, resulting in a wrongful loss of ₹3.38 lakh.
Margao Town Police have registered a case of cheating, and further investigation is being carried out by LPSI Aanushka Parab.
