In a striking resemblance to the storyline of the movie ‘Dream Girl’ starring Ayushmann Khurrana, a 22-year-old man from Bhopal has been apprehended for orchestrating a fraudulent scheme online, impersonating a woman to deceive multiple individuals.
Identified as Ashu Mehra, also known as Ajay or Chhotu Mehra, the accused allegedly employed voice manipulation techniques to mimic a female voice and lured unsuspecting victims into parting with their money. His modus operandi closely resembled the plot of the movie, where the protagonist secures employment by speaking in a woman’s voice.
The arrest followed a complaint lodged by one of his victims, Aman Namdev, who recounted his interaction with a woman named Shivani Raghuvanshi on Instagram. Despite never meeting face-to-face, Namdev claimed that Shivani coerced him into considering marriage. When he declined, she threatened to end her life. Subsequently, a man identifying himself as Shivani’s “Guru bhai (brother),” named Ashu Mehra, approached Namdev, claiming that Shivani had attempted suicide and required financial assistance for treatment. Out of fear and concern, Namdev transferred ₹70,000 to Ashu.
Further investigation revealed that Ashu Mehra orchestrated the entire scheme. Inspired by the movie ‘Dream Girl,’ he allegedly created multiple fictitious social media profiles under female aliases on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Through these profiles, he initiated conversations with men, gradually coercing them into parting with their money by fabricating emergencies, including false suicide attempts.
Ashu purportedly victimized numerous individuals, amassing a substantial sum that he used for personal gratification. The police are currently probing the extent of his activities and identifying additional victims who may have fallen prey to his deceitful tactics.
This incident underscores the risks associated with social media scams and underscores the importance of exercising caution and diligence when engaging with online acquaintances. Authorities emphasize the necessity of verifying the authenticity of individuals before engaging in financial transactions to mitigate the prevalence of such fraudulent activities in the digital realm.
ALSO READ: NEET Result Scam: How 44 Students Scored AIR 1 With Incorrect Answers?
