On Chhath Puja this year, in a small town in Uttar Pradesh, Naina (name changed) saw a new notification light up her phone screen. An ‘Instagram user’ was seeking ‘friendship’. She dismissed the message, preferring festivities over digital introductions. But, later in the evening, she received a message from the same profile. The man was persistent, introducing himself as the famous ‘Dr Khan’, a claim that felt plausible given his professionally curated profile. He spun an interesting tale: a man of Pakistani origin, now practising medicine in London after completing his MBBS in China.
For Naina, who had never left her town, it seemed like an interesting opportunity to understand how people lived overseas. For three days, Naina was drawn into Dr Khan’s orbit on Instagram, eventually moving their chats to WhatsApp. He seemed genuine, engaging her in long conversations. He often insisted on video calls, pressing her until she finally gave in to his requests. Yet, despite his insistence, Naina never saw his face. “We spoke over video calls, but I could never see him,” she later recounted to indianexpress.com. “He always claimed there was a network error on his side.”
Dr Khan painted a dazzling picture of his life in London, whereas Naina shared the simple realities of her family and small-town existence. Fascinated by his world, Naina was unprepared when, after five days, Dr Khan suddenly proposed marriage. She declined immediately. Her goal was friendship, a companion for conversation.
When he persisted, she offered a practical obstacle: she did not even have a passport. She says he seized on this, asking for her Aadhaar card details. When she explained that her father kept all her important documents, Dr Khan shifted tactics. “Okay,” he said, “but I want to send you some gifts.”
Soon, Naina’s phone was flooded with videos of him shopping for high-end gifts: an iPhone, some expensive jewellery, and sarees, which he claimed were worth a lakh rupees. She declined the lavish presents and even refused to provide her address. Dr Khan then told her that he had shipped these gifts to India.
The next morning, he called at 7 am, confirming the gifts were en route. An hour and a half later, a new number flashed on her screen—all on WhatsApp. The caller, claiming to be from the ‘Mumbai Airport office,’ demanded she collect the parcel. When Naina stated she did not live in Mumbai, the ‘officials’ offered to ship the goods for a processing fee of Rs 4,000.
Naina refused, insisting they return the unwanted gifts. This triggered the next level of threat. The ‘officials’ warned that the matter would be transferred to ‘CBI officials’ since high-value international goods were booked in her name.
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Distressed, Naina called Dr Khan, who feigned innocence, claiming he was unaware of such fees in India. When she still refused to pay the Rs 4,000, his tone changed abruptly. He threatened to release the photos and videos he had secretly recorded during their network-impaired video calls on every social media platform.
Terrified and financially dependent on her joint family, Naina managed to borrow the sum from a few friends, as she did not even have a UPI account herself. Her friend’s brother paid Rs 4,000.
The relief was short-lived. The very next day, the ‘airport office’ demanded Rs 12,000 more. Naina frantically called Dr Khan, pleading that she had no money left, but he turned hostile, saying her lack of funds was not his problem, and escalated his threats to release the compromising content.
Meanwhile, the ‘officials’ kept up the pressure, warning of a transfer to the CBI. When Naina stood her ground, her phone rang yet again. This time, the caller claimed to be a CBI official, threatening to arrive at her house instantly.
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Panic-stricken, Naina rushed to a nearby jewellery shop. Selling her gold earrings, she asked the shopkeeper to transfer Rs 12,000. The shopkeeper attempted the payment, but it failed. Immediately, the shopkeeper’s bank called, asking if he knew the recipient of the transfer. The shopkeeper, realising the situation, explained that a young woman was trying to make a suspicious payment to retrieve a parcel.
The bank official now spoke directly to Naina. The official quickly enlightened her; it was a scam. The kind shopkeeper returned her gold earrings and urged her to go home.
Though shaken, Naina was finally awake to the deception. On her way home, the ‘CBI official’ called again, threatening to visit. Now aware, Naina calmly informed him she was waiting outside her house for them. She then blocked all three numbers: the alleged CBI, the airport authority, and Dr Khan.
Fearing family judgment and social stigma for speaking to a stranger, Naina has not yet filed an official complaint with either the police or cyber cell. She mentioned the further distress caused by several online platforms that charge victims Rs 1,000 just to offer guidance on how to tackle these cyber threats. She finally spoke with family members, realising she was one of many victims of this common scam.
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Naina, however, is not alone. Many girls and women, unaware of such scams, are driven to a point where suicidal thoughts cross their minds. Naina says even she had thoughts of suicide during this tumultuous 10-day period. Such scams often go unreported due to fear of backlash from family and society.
From friendship to gifts to threats
Cybercrime analyst Ajay Singh has received several such messages and calls from victims. Talking to the indianexpress.com on how this scam works, he says, “Scammers first send friend requests to women on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and even Snapchat. After a few days of casual conversation, they start behaving as if they have developed a close friendship. They often claim to be living abroad to appear trustworthy and sophisticated. Once they gain the victim’s confidence, the scammer says, ‘Our friendship has grown, so I want to send you a gift.’ After the victim shares her address, they send a fake parcel image, claiming that an expensive gift has been dispatched in her name.”
“A few days later, the victim receives a call from someone pretending to be a Customs Officer from an Indian airport, usually Delhi or Mumbai. The fake officer claims the parcel contains high-value items and demands customs duty to release it,” Singh adds.
“If the victim pays, the scammer asks for more money, saying that foreign currency has been found in the parcel, requiring additional clearance. When the victim checks with her online ‘friend,’ he confirms the lie, claiming he has indeed sent expensive jewellery, gadgets like an iPhone, and some foreign currency. He emotionally pressures her to pay the duty and accept the parcel,” he says.
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“In some cases, scammers also video call the victim and secretly record the video. Later, they threaten to leak the video on social media unless the victim pays them,” Singh adds.
If the victim refuses to pay, the scammer, disguised as a Customs officer, often threatens the victim, saying they will come with police to her home as the parcel ‘cannot be returned,’ he says, adding, “This creates panic.”
How to avoid being scammed
Singh offers a few pointers on how women and girls can protect themselves from online scammers:
📌Avoid chatting with strangers on social media. Many profiles are fake or stolen.
📌Never trust anyone who quickly offers expensive gifts or asks for your address.
📌Customs officers never call individuals to demand money. They never visit homes to deliver parcels.
📌No legitimate courier or Customs department asks for money through UPI, bank transfer, or WhatsApp links.
📌Never share your home address, personal details, or photos and videos with people you have never met and only know online.
📌Foreign currency in parcels is illegal. A genuine sender would never do this.
📌Verify parcel information directly on official courier websites, not through links sent by strangers.
📌If someone pressures, threatens, or blackmails you, consider it a clear sign of a scam.
📌If you fall victim, tell the closest person in your family and get a complaint registered against the scammers. Support helps break fear and shame.
📌Report suspicious profiles and numbers oncybercrime.gov.inor through the 1930 helpline.
