Maharashtra
Honey-Trapping Scam Targets Men In Mumbai Through Fake Escort Services; Check How To Stay Safe

After dating app scams, online escort services have become as a new way of duping men in Mumbai. These digital flesh trade dens, masquerading as legitimate websites, promise foreign escorts and vanish after receiving payments. One such website, posing as a ‘Web Blog’, lures victims by advertising women from countries like Africa, Australia, Japan, and Russia.
A prominent example is Massage Republic, a site claiming to provide commentaries on politics and human trafficking. However, it redirects visitors to a page offering escort services in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore, and even international locations like Dubai, Bangkok, and Nairobi.
One of the people who was recently cheated after booking an online escort service from the website conveyed his ordeal to The Free Press Journal. He booked a Nigerian escort for Rs8,000 through the site. Directed to a hotel in Marol Naka, Andheri (E), he paid Rs2,000 upfront to the hotel manager. Inside the room, he was told to pay the remaining amount before the woman arrived. However, the woman who eventually showed up was not the one he had booked.
“When I confronted the woman, she demanded extra money to arrange for the same woman I had asked for. Sensing something was amiss, he refused, asking for a refund. The woman excused herself, claiming the money had to be recovered from the initial recipient, who had already disappeared. The hotel manager denied any involvement,” the man said on condition of anonymity.
The man claimed to have contacted the police but alleged that the police did not entertain his verbal complaint. However, he said that he did not want to be an official complainant fearing public humiliation and hardships in personal life. The Free Press Journal got connected with another man, a local from Mumbai, who had also booked services from a Nigerian national and was cheated in the same way. Notably, both the incidents happened in the same hotel located in Marol Naka of Andheri (E).
However, when one of the victims reached out to the Human Rights Commission, an NGO working on cases of human rights violations, the NGO’s Maharashtra vice president Roshan Pathak reached out to multiple women offering escort services through the website. He found out that all the Nigerian women denied to meet at any other place and pressed on meeting at the same hotel in Marol Naka where both the men were scammed.
“Normally, nobody would understand that there is an escort service website behind this blog. The women would reply on WhatsApp only after we provided them with a code received from the website. Although all the women demanded different prices ranging from Rs10,000 to Rs12,000, they would ultimately agree to Rs8,000 after negotiations. Similarly, Russian and Japanese women would call at their places in Bandra and Khar. This seems to be a new easy way of scamming men since they are vulnerable and do not speak out about it fearing shame,” said Pathak.
Modus Operandi…
Scammers create websites posing as blogs but secretly offering escort services
They advertise escorts of various nationalities (Nigerian, Russian, Japanese)
Victims are directed to specific hotels, like one in Marol Naka, Andheri (E)
Victims pay an upfront fee to hotel staff or directly to the scammers
A different woman shows up, demanding additional money to bring the promised escort
Excuses are made, and the initial contact disappears with the money
Victims hesitate to report the scam due to fear of social embarrassment
Interaction occurs via WhatsApp, accessible only through codes from the website
Maharashtra
Mumbai Cyber Fraud: 31-Year-Old IIT Engineer Defrauded Of ₹14.95 Lakh In Online Loan Scam; FIR Registered

Mumbai: An IIT engineer lost ₹14.95 lakhs in an online fraud. The scammer gained access to his mobile phone, took loans from various financial companies, and used his ICICI Bank credit card to defraud him. A case was registered against an unidentified individual for allegedly committing the fraud on May 28.
According to the FIR, the complainant, Deepak W, 31, resides in Powai and works as a Senior Project Engineer at IIT Powai. On February 20, he received a call from Credito Twenty Four, a financial company. An employee of the company informed him that he had taken a loan of ₹13,500 and had failed to pay the EMI (Equated Monthly Instalment). When he replied that he had not taken any such loan, the company cross-checked his Aadhaar card, PAN card, and other details—which all matched his personal information.
Deepak grew suspicious and checked his CIBIL score, which reflects an individual’s creditworthiness. He discovered that, in his name, the scammer had taken loans from three financial companies. Two of them were identified as Poonawalla Fincorp, from which a loan of ₹3 lakhs was taken, and Kissht Financial Services, from which a loan of ₹80,000 was drawn. Additionally, the scammer had used his ICICI Bank credit card for unauthorised transactions.
The complaint mentioned that his phone had not been hacked, he had not received any suspicious messages, and he did not recall clicking on any link or downloading any app by mistake. He believes the scammer somehow accessed his mobile, took loans in his name, and used his credit card, defrauding him of ₹14.95 lakhs. The fraudulent transactions reportedly occurred between January 8 and January 19.
He filed an online complaint with the Cyber Police. The Western Cyber Police registered an FIR under Sections 318(4) (cheating) and 319(2) (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Ghatkopar dispute over Qurbani, police security increased, situation tense after objections to Qurbani, police monitoring

Mumbai: A controversy has arisen over the Qurbani in Damodar Society in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area. So far, the BMC has not granted permission for a temporary slaughterhouse in the society. Society member Bharatiya has alleged that before the sacrifice, goats are brought into the society and spread dirt and an atmosphere of fear is created here during the sacrifice because Hindus are migrating from this society while the sacrifice process has been going on in the society for the past twenty-five years. Society member Ishtiaq said that all festivals are celebrated in the society but only two women have objection and they are spoiling the atmosphere here because they have a personal issue with the society and therefore this issue is being given a Hindu-Muslim color.
He said that for the sacrifice, a canopy is prepared in the ground and the sacrifice is performed and cleanliness is also taken care of. Along with this, the meat is taken covered. He said that after the announcement of the mischief of Kirit Somaiya and the announcement of not allowing the sacrifice in the society, these two women have also complained here while the BMC society has contacted and if the society does not get permission, it will approach the court because the court has allowed the sacrifice before too. Muslims say that these two women are spoiling the atmosphere here due to the sacrifice issue. While there is peace and order and Hindu-Muslim unity here, only these two women have objections to the sacrifice. We will also knock on the door of the court to perform the sacrifice legally. After this controversy, the Vikhroli Park Site Police have tightened security arrangements.
Crime
BMW-Borne Dacoity Foiled In Bhiwandi; 4 Held With Weapons, Arms Worth ₹17 Lakh Seized

Mumbai: The Shantinagar Police arrested four dacoits before they could execute a planned dacoity in Bhiwandi. The police seized a pistol, a knife, an iron rod, four country-made revolvers, a rope, three masks, chili powder, and a BMW car from their possession. The accused have been identified as Soeb Shaheed Shaikh (23), Naushad Maqsood Alam Khan (22), and Aftab Afsar Shaikh (21), all residents of Bihar, while Shahabuddin Ansari (20) is a resident of Bhiwandi.
According to officials, on May 31, a patrolling team was on duty from the Shantinagar area to Shandar Market. Police Constable Prashant Barve received information that four to five men were seated inside a BMW car parked in an isolated spot at Shandar Market in Bhiwandi, and that they were carrying weapons.
Barve alerted his senior officials, who rushed to the location. Upon questioning the suspects, the police discovered weapons and other tools typically used for dacoity. The items seized included a car, country-made revolvers, an iron rod, a knife, and other items valued at over ₹17 lakh. The accused were brought to the police station after it was learned that they were preparing to commit a dacoity, which was foiled thanks to the alertness of Constable Barve.
An FIR has been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. All four have been arrested and produced in court, where they were remanded to police custody for further investigation.
Vinayak Gaikwad, Senior Police Inspector of Shantinagar Police Station, stated, “We arrested the owner of the BMW car on Saturday night. During the investigation, it was revealed that a bodily offence had already been registered against Shahabuddin a year ago. He was released on bail. Further investigation is ongoing.”
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