'Will marry you’: Impostor Elon Musk cons Chembur woman of Rs 17 lakhs

Mumbai: A 40-year-old woman living in Chembur area of ​​Mumbai received a message on social media last year. The person in front was introducing himself as Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk. Initially the woman was suspicious, but as the conversation progressed, she agreed with him. He described himself as single, proposed marriage and expressed his dream of settling together in America. The woman felt that her luck had suddenly changed.

How did the conversation move from friendship to trust?

According to the police, the accused first contacted the woman on X and then took the woman to a messaging app. Conversations started taking place there every day. He kept assuring her that he would come to India soon and both of them would get married. Gradually the woman trusted him completely.

Where did the story of Visa begin?

After a few weeks, the man said that he would have to arrange a visa to go to America and one of his men would help with this. At the same time a man named “James” joined the woman. He introduced himself as a visa agent and said that some fees would have to be paid.

Why was money asked for Amazon gift card?

James told the woman that the bank transfer would take time, so she should purchase Amazon gift cards and send him their codes. The woman started doing this without thinking much. She purchased gift cards several times between October 2025 and January 2026. Gradually the amount reached around Rs 16.34 lakh, which she paid through her credit card.

When did the suspicion arise and how did the truth come out?

On January 15, James again asked for around Rs 2 lakh, saying that he had to arrange for the ticket. Then the woman felt strong suspicion for the first time. She refused to pay the money. After this James started saying that now she cannot go to America. During the same time, fake Elon Musk also stopped chatting.

How did the matter reach the police?

The woman told this to her parents. They asked her to immediately lodge a complaint on the cybercrime helpline. After the complaint, the police registered a case and started investigation.

Under which sections has the case been registered?

Police said that sections on cheating, cheating by fake identity and criminal conspiracy have been imposed on the accused, and a case has also been registered under the IT Act. According to a police officer, “The accused won the woman's trust by posing as Elon Musk and took advantage of that to extort money from her.”

What are the police doing now?

The investigation team is trying to find out from where the accused were operating and into which account or wallet the money went. It is also being seen whether other people have been implicated in similar manner.