New Delhi, January 17: A 21-year-old electrical engineering student from Pune lost INR 10 lakh to fraudsters who promised her a chance to represent India at the Ms Inter-Continental beauty pageant in Egypt. Between October 1 and November 20 last year, the victim was lured by the offer to participate in the event and was told she would be the country’s representative.

The crooks, who were from Haryana and Gujarat, manipulated the student’s previous involvement in beauty pageants to gain her trust. Online Trading Scam in Bengaluru: Techie Loses Over INR 1 Crore in Share Market Fraud After Joining Telegram Group.

The fraudsters convinced the student to pay ₹10 lakh for expenses related to passport, airfare, and visa, with the promise of sending her to Egypt. She even traveled to Jaipur for an event, where she was told she had been directly selected for the international contest. The crooks later sent her a fake airline ticket through social media to further deceive her. QR Code Scam in Madhya Pradesh: 12 Shops, 1 Petrol Pump Targeted As Scammers Replace QR Codes in Khajuraho at Night To Redirect Payments; 1 Arrested As CCTV Footage Surfaces.

The victim realised she had been scammed when her name didn’t appear as India’s representative at the contest and the ticket turned out to be fake. The fraudsters ceased communication and refused to refund the money. 

The victim filed a complaint with the Sahakarnagar police, who, after verifying the claims, registered an FIR for cheating under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Investigations are ongoing to track down the culprits.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 17, 2025 08:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).