A 29-year-old Income Tax Inspector from Nerul, Navi Mumbai, lost Rs 44 lakh to a gang of fraudsters who trapped him through a matrimonial website. The accused posed as a prospective bride and her associates, duping the victim through a series of emotional manipulations and fake international money transfer claims.
Acting on his complaint, the Nerul Police registered an FIR for cheating and criminal breach of trust under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act against two women and two others, including the woman who accepted his marriage proposal on the platform.
The Scam Unfolds
According to the complaint, the victim registered on Shaadi.com, where he sent a marriage proposal to a woman identified as Divya Sarkar. She accepted the proposal on August 17, after which they began chatting.
On September 18, Sarkar contacted him on WhatsApp from a UK number, claiming she was originally from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, but currently working in London. She shared her biodata, claiming her parents had passed away and that she was planning to move permanently to India to fulfill her late parents' wish of settling back in the country.
Later, Sarkar sent a fake British Airways ticket showing her supposed travel to India. The next day, the victim received a call from a woman identifying herself as Sujata Dhar, allegedly a Delhi Airport official, who claimed that Sarkar had arrived carrying an unregistered demand draft of £50,000 (UK Pounds).
Dhar told the victim that Sarkar needed to pay Rs 1 lakh for clearance. Falling for the ruse, he transferred Rs 55,000, followed by another Rs 99,700 for an alleged Anti-Money Laundering Certificate.
Multiple Transfers and Fake Claims
The scammers continued demanding money under various pretexts, including opening a new bank account for currency conversion and other "airport clearance" charges. Sarkar sent him two bank account numbers, and the victim transferred Rs 1.86 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively, from his own and relatives' bank accounts.
Over the next few days, the fraudsters kept calling and pressuring him to make additional payments. In total, he transferred Rs 44.19 lakh before realising he had been duped.
On October 5, Sarkar messaged again, claiming she was "stranded at a Delhi hotel" without money to pay her bills, suffering from a "stomach ulcer" and "being denied food." She even sent messages using another person's mobile phone, asking for Rs 3.69 lakh urgently. That was when the victim realised it was a scam.
Police Investigation Underway
The victim lodged an online complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) on October 23, following which the Nerul Police registered a formal FIR on Monday.
Police have launched a probe to trace the accused, their bank accounts, and digital footprints. Investigators suspect that the gang may have used fake identities and international phone numbers to mask their locations and launder money through multiple accounts.
Authorities have once again urged citizens to remain cautious while using matrimonial or dating platforms, avoid sharing personal or financial information, and verify any claims involving money transfers or foreign transactions.
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