Australia Dream Turns Into Rs 11 Million Fraud Nightmare; Accused Escapes Police Custody

Kathmandu. What began with a Facebook friend request and promises of helping secure a loan for higher studies in Australia ended in one of the country's most disturbing cyber fraud cases, leaving a young computer engineer defrauded of more than Rs 11 million and subjected to blackmail using intimate images.

The case, currently before the Kathmandu District Court, alleges that 22-year-old Manash Raj Sharma, of Jaleshwar Municipality-7, Mahottari, deceived the victim, whose identity has been withheld and is referred to as Sushriya Aryal (pseudonym), into transferring Rs 11,026,171 over several months before blackmailing her with nude photos and videos.