‘Paris-based’ pilot meets Pune woman on matrimonial site, dupes her of Rs 21 lakh

A 34-year-old Pune woman reported to the police on Friday that a cybercriminal posing as an Air France pilot defrauded her of more than Rs 21 lakh. The victim initiated contact with a man named 'Shahzad Shaikh' after creating an account on a matrimonial website. He claimed to reside with his mother in Paris, though his family originated from Akurdi in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

According to the victim, Shaikh informed her that he would be arriving in Delhi on August 21 and then traveling to Pune. However, on the morning of August 21, the woman received a WhatsApp call from someone claiming to be a Delhi airport official, stating that Shaikh had been detained at the airport and that around 8,000 euros in unaccounted cash had been confiscated from him.

The victim was instructed to transfer money to his release. She also received a WhatsApp call from an individual who introduced himself as 'immigration officer Franc Lemon'. He asked her to transfer money into various bank accounts for visa document clearance, currency conversion, and other purposes related to Shaikh's release. The victim transferred a total of Rs 21,89,050 in 21 online transactions between August 21-25.

She realized she had been duped when the callers continued to demand additional money. The Pune police have filed the case under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.