Daijiworld Media Network – Thane

Thane, Mar 30: Fraudsters allegedly cheated 11 residents of Maharashtra’s Thane district by luring them with promises of low-cost housing under a government scheme and misusing their credentials to carry out financial transactions, police said on Monday.

A 54-year-old woman from Ulhasnagar, the complainant in the case, alleged that the accused gained her trust by promising to provide a house under the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority scheme at a concessional rate.

According to police, the accused collected money from the victims over the past two years by offering MHADA flats at low prices. They also allegedly misused the victims’ personal details to procure SIM cards, create email IDs, and open bank accounts, an official from Hill Line police station said.

The accused reportedly took Rs 5,000 each from 11 victims, amounting to Rs 55,000. Using forged documents and signatures, they allegedly routed larger financial transactions through bank accounts opened in the victims’ names.

“They transferred funds to various bank accounts of companies and builders using forged credentials, thereby cheating the victims and breaching their trust,” the official said.

Based on the woman’s complaint filed on Saturday, police have registered a case against three persons under relevant sections for cheating and forgery.

Police suspect more victims may be involved and have urged the public to verify claims related to government housing schemes before making any payments.