• Source:JND

In a shocking incident, an elderly woman was duped of Rs 65,000 after a conman posing as Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves convinced her that he needed money to book a flight ticket to India to meet her.

According to a report by The Indian Express, the 69-year-old woman is a resident of Versova in Mumbai and stays alone. After she was duped, her daughter, who lives in London, filed an FIR against the unknown person on Monday. The report suggests that the woman was in contact with the accused through the Telegram app.

Her daughter said that the accused manipulated her mother to believe that he was Keanu Reeves, and she came to know about the incident only after she noticed a Rs 65,000 transaction email.

She has access to her mother's emails because of the latter's deteriorating health. She flew to Mumbai and filed the FIR. The transaction was made to an unknown person in Dehradun on June 30.

When she asked her mother about the person to whom she sent the money, she replied with 'friend'. Suspecting something was wrong, she sought further details into that friend when her mother told her that she was in contact with Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves.

The IE report quoted the FIR, which read, "Subsequently, as she sought more details, her mother told her that she has been in touch with Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves and his close associate through social media and that he had sought the Indian currency to book flight tickets to visit her in India".

The victim's daughter also found some chats through which the accused had made the victim to share sensitive information, such as bank passbooks, deposit slips, passport.

The accused, whose number was saved as Keanu Reeves, in the victim's phone, made her believe that the bank had stolen the money. The victim also mentioned that she would sell her jewellery to raise the money.

The FIR further read, "Screenshots from the Telegram (app) reveal that the scammer persistently attempted to brainwash the victim, creating distrust toward her family members and encouraging her to isolate herself from them". A case has been registered under relevant sections and the investigation is underway.