80-Year-Old Mumbai Man Loses ₹9 Crore in Cyber Fraud After Accepting Friend Request
After realizing he had fallen victim to a cyber fraud, the man was hospitalized and diagnosed with dementia.
Mumbai Man Loses Nearly ₹9 Crore in Online Romance Scam
Mumbai: An 80-year-old man from Mumbai was tricked out of nearly ₹9 crore over almost two years through 734 online transactions. Four women were involved, but police believe they might be the same person, taking advantage of him in the name of love and sympathy.
How the Scam Began
The ordeal started in April 2023 when the elderly man sent a friend request on Facebook to a woman named Sharvi. At first, the request went unanswered. A few days later, he got another request from Sharvi’s account, which he accepted.
After that, they began chatting and eventually exchanged phone numbers to talk on WhatsApp. Sharvi said she was separated from her husband and lived with her children. Gradually, she began asking for money, claiming her children were ill.
Multiple Women, Multiple Lies
The scam grew when another woman, Kavita, contacted him. She introduced herself as someone who knew Sharvi and started sending inappropriate messages while asking for money.
In December 2023, a third woman, Dinaz, who said she was Sharvi’s sister, reached out. Dinaz falsely told the man that Sharvi had died, pressuring him to pay her hospital bills. She even sent screenshots of earlier WhatsApp chats to blackmail him for more money. When he asked for his money back, Dinaz threatened to commit suicide.
Soon after, a fourth woman, Jasmine, appeared, claiming to be Dinaz’s friend and also asking for financial help, which the man gladly provided.
Financial Ruin
From April 2023 to January 2025, the elderly man paid an astonishing ₹8.7 crore in those 734 transactions. He drained all his savings and even borrowed ₹2 lakh from his daughter-in-law. Later, he asked his son for ₹5 lakh to keep paying. His son, growing suspicious, eventually uncovered the truth behind the scam.
Hospitalization and Diagnosis
Realizing he had been scammed shocked the 80-year-old so much that he ended up hospitalized, where he was diagnosed with dementia.
Police Investigation
A cybercrime complaint was filed on July 22, 2025. Police are now looking into the case and suspect that the four women may actually be one person running this elaborate scam.
Authorities are urging people, especially the elderly, to be careful when dealing with strangers online and to check the authenticity of any financial requests they receive through social media or messaging apps.
