Mangaluru: A 44-year-old woman was allegedly cheated of ₹57.31 lakh by two unidentified persons who posed as representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and promised to place a bulk order for fire extinguishers sold by her business.

According to the complaint, the fraud began in February when a man identifying himself as Nithesh Kumar contacted the complainant’s husband through WhatsApp from an international number. Speaking in Tulu, he claimed to be calling from Nairobi, Kenya, and said he worked for the UNHCR. He also claimed to be originally from Kaup in Udupi district.

Kumar allegedly expressed interest in purchasing fire extinguishers from the couple’s business and asked the complainant’s husband to contact his superior, identified as Rajaguru Reddiar, to proceed with the deal.

The following day, Reddiar contacted the complainant’s husband through WhatsApp and said a purchase order would be issued after the submission of a quotation. After several days of discussions, he allegedly claimed that certain certificates were required under Kenyan regulations, including registration, anti-money laundering, International Monetary Fund and Financial Intelligence Authority certificates.

He also demanded money towards insurance and bank storage charges, claiming that he had contacts who could arrange the required certificates quickly if the complainant transferred the necessary funds.

Trusting their claims, the woman allegedly transferred a total of ₹57,31,175 to bank accounts provided by Reddiar through RTGS, NEFT, IMPS and SWIFT transactions between February 23 and June 29.

After receiving the money, Reddiar allegedly demanded additional payments. Suspicious of the repeated demands, the woman sought a refund of the amount. However, the two men allegedly offered various excuses and eventually stopped answering her calls.