Surat: A 26-year-old woman in Bilimora lost Rs 28.43 lakh to cybercrooks who promised to help her marry the man she loved through astrological rituals.In a desperate bid to meet their escalating demands and threats, she even withdrew her provident fund (PF) savings from her previous job in Surat and later sold and mortgaged her gold jewellery, police said.Bilimora police have booked 29 people, including a woman who allegedly identified herself as Isha Sharma, an astrologer from Madhya Pradesh, for cheating, extortion, criminal intimidation and conspiracy.According to the FIR, the complainant is pursuing her graduation. On April 20 this year, while watching reels on Instagram, she came across an advertisement offering solutions for ‘love marriage’ and ‘vashikaran’, which carried Sharma’s phone number.The woman, who wished to marry a man but faced opposition from her parents, contacted Sharma on WhatsApp. Sharma allegedly assured her that rituals could resolve the problem and initially demanded Rs 6,000. When the complainant offered to pay in cash, Sharma said she was based in Madhya Pradesh and asked her to transfer the money through a QR code.The accused allegedly began collecting small amounts online in the name of performing rituals. As the demands increased, the woman refused to pay further. The fraudsters then allegedly threatened to disclose the matter to her family to pressure her into making more payments.They sent her multiple bank account numbers, QR codes and UPI IDs on WhatsApp and allegedly forced her to transfer money. Between April and August, the woman made 86 transactions, losing a total of Rs 28.43 lakh, according to the FIR.Her parents work at different places, while her brother is also employed.
