Bareilly: Former Congress member Anupama Maurya was duped of Rs 6.24 lakh by a fraudster who asked her to pay the money as airport clearances for a package containing diamonds and gold necklaces, along with an iPhone and cash to the tune of Rs 30 lakh from London. Maurya said that she had received a WhatsApp text from the offender informing her about an “offer” that she had won. Police has, in the meanwhile, issued advisories cautioning people to not fall prey to text messages such as these.“I received a message from one Ruby Valgeri in June this year saying that I would receive a package containing the valuables,” said Maurya. She had contested the assembly elections in 2012 as a Congress candidate.In July, the miscreant had informed Maurya that the items have arrived in Delhi airport and that she will have to deposit Rs 40,000 as airport clearance charges. Another message was subsequently sent a few days later telling her that the package has been seized by the airport authorities and a sum of Rs 1 lakh was needed to get it back.“I was asked to pay more and more pay in the days to come in the name of official formalities. By the time I realized that I have been cheated, I had already paid Rs 6.24 lakh in four installments,” Maurya said.Incidentally, the account in which Maurya was depositing the money belonged to one Runi Valgeri in neighbouring Shahjahanpur. “When I later tried contacting Ruby, in her London numbesr, the phone was switched off,” Maurya said.“A complaint has been made to the cyber cell branch here and investigation is on,” said Ramesh Bhartiya, superintendent of police (SP), Bareilly.

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