Elon Musk ‘Marriage Proposal’ Scam in Mumbai: 40-Year-Old Woman Duped of Nearly INR 17 Lakh by Scammer Impersonating Tesla CEO
A 40-year-old homemaker from Mumbai has reportedly been defrauded of over INR 16.34 lakh by a cybercriminal impersonating billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk. The scam involved an elaborate ruse that began on social media, where the fraudster used a fake profile to build a rapport with the victim before luring her with a marriage proposal.
Mumbai, January 24: A 40-year-old homemaker from Mumbai has reportedly been defrauded of over INR 16.34 lakh by a cybercriminal impersonating billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk. The scam involved an elaborate ruse that began on social media, where the fraudster used a fake profile to build a rapport with the victim before luring her with a marriage proposal. The North Region Cyber Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the money trail, which spanned multiple bank accounts.
The fraud began in late 2025 when the victim received a message from an account claiming to be the Tesla CEO. Over several weeks, the scammer gained the woman's trust through constant communication, eventually professing his love and expressing a desire to marry her. To solidify the deception, the fraudster told the victim he was shipping expensive gifts, including luxury jewelry and high-end electronics, from the United States to India. Mumbai Businessman Duped of INR 11 Crore in WhatsApp Stock Trading Scam, Probe On.
Woman Duped of Nearly INR 17 Lakh by Scammer Impersonating Elon Musk
The financial exploitation started when the victim received a call from an individual posing as a customs official at Delhi Airport. The caller claimed that a high-value parcel sent by "Musk" had been intercepted and required the payment of various fees, including customs duty, processing charges, and "anti-money laundering" certificates.
Believing the gifts were real and that her "fiancé" was behind the shipment, the woman began transferring funds. Between December and January, she made several transactions totaling approximately INR 16,34,500 into various bank accounts provided by the scammers. Digital Arrest Scam in Mumbai: 75-Year-Old Retired BMC Official Duped of INR 16.5 Lakh by Fake ATS, NIA Officers Over ‘Delhi Bomb Blast Probe’.
The victim realised she had been duped when the demands for money continued even after she had exhausted her savings. When she confronted the "Elon Musk" profile about the persistent delays and additional costs, the account was abruptly deleted, and the "customs officers" stopped answering her calls.
Following the realisation, the homemaker approached the cyber police station in Mumbai to file a formal complaint. Investigators have noted that this is a classic "romance scam" combined with a "customs fraud," a method frequently used by international syndicates to target unsuspecting individuals.
The police have frozen several bank accounts linked to the fraud, though a significant portion of the money had already been withdrawn or transferred to offshore accounts. Technical experts are currently tracing the IP addresses used by the primary suspect to communicate with the victim.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 24, 2026 10:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).