Online Friend looted Rs.32 lakh; Be cautious when creating internet buddies;

A woman from Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli area has been accused of being defrauded of over Rs 32 lakh by someone she met on Instagram. The 'buddy' said he lived in the United Kingdom.

The woman was told that a "gift" and some "foreign currency" worth Rs 45 lakh had arrived in Delhi for her from the United Kingdom and that she would have to pay a charge to collect it.

"She was told that she would have to make the payments online and in installments. She eventually transferred roughly Rs 32 lakh, after which there was no communication from the other side,” stated an official.

The matter has been reported to the police, and the cyber unit is probing the case, according to Rae Bareli Superintendent of Police (SP) Shlok Kumar.

The woman had first met the man on Instagram in September, when he introduced himself as 'Harry,' a UK resident, and exchanged phone numbers, sparking a series of regular chats over social media.