The police have booked a man for allegedly duping a woman of over ₹10 lakh after befriending her through social media
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The Thrikkakara police have booked a man for allegedly duping a woman of over ₹10 lakh after befriending her through social media. The police on Friday (September 19, 2025) registered a first information report (FIR) against Morgan Kelvin Alen of Kakkanad based on a complaint filed by a 59-year-old woman from Vazhakkala in Kochi, Kerala.
According to the police, the accused contacted the woman through social media, claiming to be from the UK. He allegedly cheated the woman by convincing her that he had sent her a surprise gift and it was intercepted by the Customs at the Delhi airport as the package contained items, including gold, electronic gadgets and British currency.
The man told the complainant that a case would be registered against her if she did not pay the customs duty on the items addressed to her. Panicked, the complainant transferred ₹10,78,000 from her bank account to different accounts between July 27, 2025 and August 15, 2025. The woman approached the police on September 19, 2025 after realising that she was cheated.
The police said they have started a probe and have to verify the transactions through which the complainant lost the money.
“The modus operandi of the accused is a trick played by cyber fraudsters. The incident highlights the need to create more awareness among vulnerable groups,” a police officer said.
Published – September 20, 2025 12:48 pm IST
