Man duped of Rs 4.8 Lakh by fraudster posing as woman

Mangaluru: A Puttur resident has allegedly been cheated of Rs 4.8 lakh by an unidentified person who posed as a woman on Snapchat and WhatsApp, gained his trust, and sought money on the pretext of financial difficulties.

According to a complaint registered at the Puttur Town police station, the complainant came into contact with a Snapchat user in Dec last year. The person introduced herself as Annapoorna Gowda, and said that she was employed at Wipro in Bengaluru.

The accused subsequently shared a WhatsApp number and continued to communicate with the complainant through WhatsApp. Over time, the individual allegedly gained the complainant’s confidence, and between Feb and April 2026, sought financial assistance on various occasions citing personal financial difficulties. Believing the claims, the complainant allegedly transferred a total of Rs 4.8 lakh to the accused.

The fraud came to light when the complainant discussed the matter with his friends, who helped verify the identity of the person. It was then revealed that the individual was not a woman as claimed, but a man who had allegedly used a fake identity to deceive him. Based on the complaint, Puttur Town police have registered a case under Section 318(4) of the BNS, and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.