Businessman loses ₹74L to fake CM's aide in Mumbai
A Santacruz businessman was tricked out of ₹74 lakh by someone pretending to be the Maharashtra Chief Minister's personal assistant.
The scammer, Vaibhav Thakkar, promised to help settle some of his pending court cases and even showed up in an SUV showing an identity card to support his claim, yellow beacon, and bodyguards to look legit.
How the scam unfolded—and got exposed
Believing Thakkar, Alpesh Patel mortgaged family jewelry and paid up between February and April 2025—but got zero help.
When Thakkar kept asking for more money and started making threats, Patel grew suspicious.
He finally realized it was a scam after seeing news reports about Thakkar on December 9 and filed a police complaint on December 11.
Turns out, Thakkar has pulled off similar tricks before—including one targeting a jeweler—making it easier for cops to build their case this time.