Nagpur: A 20-year-old college student from Nagpur fell victim to an online fraud after being duped of Rs 1.32 lakh by a cyber scammer who allegedly posed as a CRPF jawan and lured her with an attractive furniture sale advertisement on Facebook.
The incident has once again highlighted the growing menace of online marketplace frauds, where cybercriminals exploit social media platforms and fake identities to target unsuspecting buyers.
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June 05 2026 - Time 10.30Hrs
According to police, the victim, identified as Sanjana Kishor Lende, a resident of the MIDC police station jurisdiction, came across a furniture sale advertisement on Facebook. Interested in purchasing the furniture, she contacted the mobile number mentioned in the advertisement.
During the conversation, the accused introduced himself as a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and claimed that he was being transferred to Jammu and Kashmir. He told the student that he was urgently selling household furniture at a discounted price before relocating.
Believing the story to be genuine, the student agreed to purchase the furniture. The fraudster then gained her confidence and, under various pretexts, persuaded her to make a series of online payments.
Police said the accused continued demanding money on different grounds, including booking charges, transportation costs and other processing fees. Trusting the seller’s assurances, the victim transferred a total of Rs 1,32,500 to the bank account specified by the accused.
However, despite receiving the money, the accused neither delivered the furniture nor refunded the amount. When repeated attempts to contact him failed, the student realised she had been cheated and approached the police.
Based on her complaint, MIDC Police registered a case and launched an investigation into the cyber fraud.
Investigators are examining the bank accounts, mobile numbers and digital footprints used by the accused. Police suspect the fraudster may be part of a larger online scam network that targets people through social media platforms by impersonating defence and paramilitary personnel to gain credibility.
Police have advised citizens to exercise caution while making purchases through social media platforms and online marketplaces. Buyers have been urged to verify the identity of sellers and avoid transferring money in advance to unknown persons without proper verification.
Further investigation is underway.
