š°ā#ElonMusk ā lures 40-yr-old with marriage proposal, dupes her ofĀ ā¹17L š°
What began as an online romance quickly turned into a chilling cyber fraud after a 40-year-old woman from Chembur was allegedly duped by a man posing as tech billionaire Elon Musk, police said.
š A Promise of Love & Life Abroad
The woman reportedly connected with the fraudster on social media platform X, where he introduced himself as Elon Musk. Over days of chatting, the impersonator gained her trust, proposed marriage, and promised to take her to the United States for a comfortable life.
āļø The Visa Scam
The fake āMuskā later asked her to contact a man named James, who claimed to handle her visa process. James demanded āprocessing feesā and instructed her to buy Amazon gift cards, saying it would speed up approvals.
šø ā¹16.34 Lakh Lost
Between October 2025 and January 2026, the womanāan employee at an insurance firmāspent nearly ā¹16.34 lakh purchasing and sharing gift card codes.
šØ Doubts & Disappearance
On January 15, James allegedly demanded another ā¹2 lakh for flight tickets. When the woman refused and expressed doubts, both James and the fake Musk stopped all communication, telling her she could no longer travel to the US.
š® Police Action
After informing her parents, the woman lodged a complaint via the cybercrime helpline. Police registered an FIR under:
āļø Section 318 ā Cheating
āļø Section 319 ā Cheating by personation
āļø Section 61 ā Criminal conspiracy
š± Along with relevant sections of the IT Act
š£ļø A police officer said the accused deliberately impersonated a global public figure to gain credibility and extract money through digital means.
š Advisory
Authorities have once again warned citizens to never trust online marriage proposals, celebrity accounts, or requests for payment via gift cards.