In a cautionary tale of online deception, two Surat youths fell victim to a financial scam orchestrated by a woman they befriended on social media. Bhuatik Shiroya and his friend Elish Mangrolia were befriended by a woman named Usha Bodhra on Facebook, who later identified herself as Shruti Dobriya.

The scam unfolded when Shruti asked Bhuatik for money to purchase a mobile phone, and he transferred Rs 24,000 to an account belonging to a person named Chetan Jayanti Kharelia. Chetan later revealed that the woman's name was Shruti Dobriya and portrayed her as financially needy. Exploiting Bhuatik's trust, Shruti convinced him of her intentions to marry him and coerced him into giving her Rs 1 lakh as a penalty for breaking a fixed deposit.

Adding to the deception, Chetan requested Rs 62,000 from Bhuatik to repay a loan supposedly taken by Shruti's father. Under the false pretense that Shruti's mother had passed away, Chetan extracted an additional Rs 2 lakh from Bhuatik. Elish, Bhuatik's friend, was also swindled out of Rs 2.23 lakh by the same individuals.

Upon filing a complaint, the police initiated an investigation and registered a case against Chetan Jayanti and Shruti Dobriya. The authorities are currently searching for the accused to bring them to justice.

This incident underscores the importance of exercising caution when forming relationships with strangers on social media platforms. It serves as a reminder to verify the authenticity of individuals before engaging in financial transactions and to promptly report any fraudulent activities to the authorities.