Lucknow, Jan. 16 -- An online friendship that began on WhatsApp turned into a massive cyber fraud for a man from Lucknow, who ended up losing Rs 1.92 crore, police said on Thursday.
The shock deepened when police discovered that the "woman" he was chatting with was actually a man using a fake identity.
According to the police, the accused has been identified as Imran Ghazi (34), a resident of the Mishripur Depot area under the Gudamba police station limits. He was arrested.
Shalabh Pandey filed a complaint on June 2, 2025, alleging Ghazi introduced himself on WhatsApp as "Bhavika Shetty" and began chatting with the victim daily. Over time, he gained Pandey's trust and convinced him to invest money in schemes promising high returns.
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