Befriending a stranger on a social networking site proved to be costly for a city resident who ended up being cheated of family jewellery by her ‘friend’.
The police later caught the man who was found to have cheated many other women in a similar manner.
The woman, a Chromepet resident, had received a friendship request on Facebook from a stranger a while ago. The stranger identified himself as a doctor at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Puducherry.
She used to talk to him about certain personal problems she faced and also met him a few times, police said.
The stranger asked the woman to give him some jewellery, which he said would be used for rituals to solve her problems.
Over a period of time, she gave him nearly 60 sovereigns through her friends.
Meanwhile, her parents complained to the police about the missing jewellery and during the investigation, the woman admitted to giving it off.
Investigations led policemen to 27-year-old Rahmathullah of Kottakuppam in Villupuram.
He had used multiple SIM cards and Facebook accounts to cheat many other women too. He has been remanded in custody by the Judicial Magistrate, Tambaram.
Police officers cautioned people who are active on social media to be wary of strangers, especially those who make claims of providing cures for personal ailments and problems.
