HYDERABAD: A 41-year-old doctor in Hyderabad allegedly lost ₹6.07 lakh after falling victim to an online relationship and fake courier scam involving a man claiming to be from South Korea, Hyderabad Cybercrime police said.
The woman, a resident of Ameerpet, reportedly connected with the suspect through the language-learning and social networking app MEEFF, which she downloaded from the Google Play Store on September 16, 2026.
The suspect, who identified himself as Gil Seo Jun, later contacted her on WhatsApp and claimed he would soon travel to India. He allegedly told her that he wanted to send his luggage containing $37,000 and jewellery worth $1,200 ahead of his arrival, and asked her to receive the parcel.
On October 6, the woman received an email from someone posing as an international courier representative, demanding ₹69,650 for customs clearance. Acting on the man’s assurances that he would reimburse her, she transferred the amount through PhonePe on October 8.
The alleged fraudsters subsequently demanded additional payments, citing further clearance charges and customs-related delays. The doctor made several transfers from her Axis Bank account, including payments of ₹30,000, ₹95,000 and multiple amounts of ₹50,000. She also transferred ₹50,000 from a family member’s Union Bank of India account.
Further demands included payments of ₹1,07,537 and ₹1,54,940. Despite being told that the parcel would reach her residence on October 11, she received nothing. The suspects then allegedly sought another ₹2.5 lakh.
Suspecting fraud, the woman refused to pay further and contacted the 1930 cybercrime helpline. She also filed a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, providing police with the suspect’s WhatsApp number, courier emails, website and bank account details.
Hyderabad Cybercrime police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.
