A 52-year-old teacher from a town in Banaskantha experienced a devastating ordeal of cyber deceit, losing a staggering Rs 80 lakh in her earnest efforts to assist her cyber friend, James Dawson, based in the UK.She transferred funds to various accounts, believing that her actions would secure his release from Indian customs and other enforcement agencies. Although this case shares similarities with the infamous friendship fraud prevalent in the cyber world, the middle-aged woman is currently undergoing therapy as she firmly refuses to accept that her foreign friend, who claimed to have arrived in India with diamond jewellery and gifts, never actually existed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Experts in cyber crime reveal that such scams are often orchestrated by individuals posing as US or UK residents. Their targets are usually middle-aged men or women from rural areas who showcase material possessions like new houses, luxury cars, or foreign trips on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this particular case, the woman received a friend request from James Dawson, purportedly from the UK, on Facebook in April of this year. Intrigued by the prospect of connecting with someone from a country she was familiar with due to her son’s current employment there, she accepted the request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n