Mumbai police have registered a case after a 69-year-old woman from Versova was allegedly cheated of ₹65,000 by a conman posing as Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves.
According to officials, the fraudster contacted the woman through the Telegram app and convinced her that he needed money to book a flight ticket to India to meet her. Trusting him, the victim transferred the amount to a bank account in Dehradun on June 30.
The incident came to light when the victim’s daughter, who lives in London, noticed a notification about the suspicious NEFT transaction. Concerned, she flew to Mumbai and lodged a First Information Report (FIR) on Monday.
Investigators said the woman, who lives alone, had also shared sensitive personal documents including her passport, bank passbook, and deposit slip with the accused. The fraudster allegedly manipulated her into believing that her family was against her and that only he could be trusted.
“She had even saved the conman’s number under the name ‘Keanu Reeves’ in her phone and was convinced she was speaking to the actor,” the FIR stated. The accused also attempted to persuade the victim to sell her jewellery to arrange more money.
A case has been registered under sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, as well as Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating by personation. Police are now tracing the account holder and further investigating the cyber fraud.
