Pune student duped of Rs 10 lakh by scammers promising spot in inter-continental beauty pageant

A 21-year-old Pune student lost Rs10 lakh to scammers promising her participation in the Ms Inter-Continental beauty pageant in Egypt, with police now investigating the matter.

Pune: A 21-year-old electrical engineering diploma student from Padmavati in Pune fell victim to a scam, losing Rs10 lakh to con artists who promised to help her participate in the Ms Inter-Continental beauty pageant in Egypt.

The scammers exploited her passion for beauty pageants, which she regularly participated in. They contacted her, inviting her to participate in an event in Jaipur, claiming this would be a stepping stone to represent India at the Ms Inter-Continental beauty pageant in Egypt.

Convinced by the scammers, the student paid Rs10 lakh online for expenses such as her passport, airfare, and visa to Egypt. Her parents took a loan to fund her supposed participation. However, when she visited Jaipur for the event, she was told she had been directly selected for the Egypt pageant.

The scammers sent her a fake international travel ticket via social media. But when her name didn't appear as an Indian representative at the contest, she realized she had been tricked. The scammers stopped communicating with the student and refused to refund the money.

"Later, they also sent her an international travel ticket on her social media account. The victim later discovered that the airline ticket was fake. She also realised she was tricked when her name did not appear as an Indian representative at the contest in Egypt," senior inspector Chhagan Kapse said.

She filed a complaint with the Sahakarnagar police, leading to an FIR being registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating. The police are now investigating the matter, with two of the accused hailing from Haryana and one from Gujarat.