In a disturbing turn of events from Mumbai’s Lalbaug area, a 40-year-old resident of Colaba, Suhas Mestri, has become the latest victim of a high-value cyber scam orchestrated by a man pretending to be a chartered accountant. The accused, Rahul Shah, was arrested by Kalachowki police after allegedly duping Mestri of ₹2.4 crore in a fraudulent car rental scheme.
The scam began in 2023 when Mestri was introduced to Shah through a mutual contact. Shah, presenting himself as a well-connected CA, proposed an investment plan involving the purchase of 11 cars, which he claimed would be leased out to diplomats and VIPs staying at Mumbai’s luxury hotels. Promising attractive monthly returns, Shah even arranged for supposed bank officials to visit Mestri’s residence to assist with documentation.
Convinced by Shah’s elaborate setup, Mestri took out multiple loans, including a personal loan to fund the down payments, trusting that Shah would oversee rentals and ensure the EMIs were paid on time.
However, between August 2023 and February 2024, the illusion began to crumble. EMI payments stopped, Shah vanished, and communication ceased. Facing mounting debt, Mestri approached the Kalachowki police, who acted swiftly and arrested Shah under applicable legal sections.
This case underlines the growing danger of financial cyber crimes involving impersonation and the exploitation of trust, where victims are lured by false promises and professional facades.
In a separate but equally troubling case, VFS Global Services Pvt. Ltd. lodged a complaint at the West Region Cyber Police Station against an unknown individual who reportedly created a fake email account impersonating a prominent travel body. The forged communication was allegedly used to tarnish the company’s credibility with Indian authorities and foreign embassies.
As cyber deception spreads its roots deeper into everyday life, these cases highlight the urgent need for vigilance and digital literacy in combating cyber crime.
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