PUNE, May 18: A real estate developer from Pune in Maharashtra was duped of Rs 38.50 lakh by online fraudsters under the pretext of procurement of a particular oil used for making a "vaccine" in the USA, police said.
The complainant lost the money in 14 different transactions between February and April this year, a Swargate police station officer said.
As per the complaint, the victim came in contact with a profile claiming to be that of a woman on a social networking site who claimed that she was working with a California-based firm involved in the development of a vaccine.
"She told him that their laboratory needed a particular oil which is exclusively found in India and asked the real estate developer to help them in procuring the same and earn money," the officer said.
The fraudsters gave the victim a contact number of a person who was involved in the trade of that oil in India.
"Later the complainant was asked to pay Rs 38.5 lakh time to time in 14 different transactions between February and April," he said, adding that the victim never met anybody in person.
The victim approached the police after realising that he was duped. - PTI
