Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Mumbai Registers Case in Instagram 'Tantric Healer' Scam That Cost 22-Year-Old Rs 15.93 Lakh

Investigators are tracing digital footprints that suggest an organised network.

Overview

  • The victim reported the fraud via the 1930 cybercrime helpline, and the Central Region Cyber Police Station opened an inquiry with acknowledgement number 31903260057353.
  • The scheme began in 2023 with an Instagram post titled “Powerful Obsession Healer,” tied by the complaint to the handle “powerful_spell_obsessed_healer,” which shifted contact to WhatsApp with users employing multiple aliases.
  • Demands started at Rs 25,000 and escalated through claims of incomplete rituals or angry spirits, leading to repeated transfers and the sale of family gold.
  • Payments were routed through multiple bank accounts under names such as Sumra Mohammed, Mohsin Salim, and Gulnaz, raising suspicion of a broader network.
  • Police say they are tracing Instagram IDs, phone numbers, and bank trails, have warned against paying for supernatural ‘solutions,’ and note some bank transaction details are still being obtained.