Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 19: Police have issued a warning to passengers at the Mumbai Airport after a man posing as a distressed college student allegedly cheated multiple travellers by soliciting money under false pretences.

The accused reportedly roamed around the airport premises claiming to be a student from a Nagpur-based engineering institute, approaching passengers with emotional appeals for urgent financial help. He claimed he had lost his flight ticket and needed money to return to his destination, often showing a fake college ID to gain trust.

At least three to four individuals are believed to have been duped in a similar manner outside the airport, according to police officials.

The latest complaint was filed by Akshay Gawade (31), a sales manager from Pune, who was cheated on March 21 after arriving at Mumbai Airport following an official trip from Kolkata. According to his complaint, the accused introduced himself as “Nilaboyina Srigiridhara Aditya” and claimed to be a student of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology.

Gawade stated that the man appeared distressed and requested urgent financial assistance, claiming he had lost his ticket to Hyderabad. Trusting his story, Gawade transferred ?16,000 via Google Pay after scanning a QR code shown by the accused.

The suspect later provided a phone number but allegedly avoided returning the money. When Gawade followed up, the accused blocked his contact, raising suspicion. Further verification revealed that the UPI ID used in the transaction did not match any legitimate student identity.

Gawade later contacted the institute, which confirmed that no student by that name was enrolled and also informed him that similar inquiries had been received from other victims.

Following this confirmation, he lodged a complaint with the Airport Police Station, leading to the registration of an FIR on Saturday. Police have since begun investigating the case and are reviewing CCTV footage from the airport to trace the suspect.

Officials said they have also approached the bank involved to obtain details linked to the UPI account used in the fraud, which may help identify the accused.

Authorities have urged passengers to remain cautious and avoid transferring money to strangers, especially those requesting urgent financial help in public transport hubs, warning that such scams are increasingly being reported.