45-year-old man duped of Rs 5 lakh in matrimonial fraud

Hyderabad: A 45-year-old private employee from the city lost 5 lakh after falling prey to an online matrimonial fraud. According to police, the fraudster posed as a cardiologist, befriended the victim, assured him of marriage and then fleeced him under the pretext of helping her patient who needed an expensive treatment.
Based on a complaint by the victim, the Hyderabad police's cybercrime wing has registered a case against unknown people and started a probe.
In his complaint the victim said that he virtually met the accused — who posed as a woman — on a matrimony app for divorcees. She introduced herself as a cardiologist.
"Over the next few days, the two spoke to each other online and became close friends. They never met in person. Later, the fraudster proposed to the victim for marriage, which he instantly accepted," a police official said.
The demand for money started soon afterwards. The accused requested the victim financially and promised to return it in a week's time. A few days later, the fraudster called again, claiming that her mother had passed away, and coaxed the victim into paying some more money. This too, she assured to return in two weeks' time.
"The victim, via multiple transactions, paid 4.9 lakh to the accused," the police official said, adding, "Once the transfers were done the accused stopped answering the complainant's call. That's when he realised he had been duped and approached the police."
Citing this case as an example, police officials warned the public using matrimonial sites about a rise in such frauds and advised them to not fall for promises that sound too good to be true. "Fraudsters create fake profiles to deceive people and gain their trust. Then they demand money under various pretexts. Matrimonial frauds can have devastating effects. It can leave victims heartbroken and financially drained. Always confirm backgrounds and never share sensitive information with strangers. Be sceptical if someone asks for money in the early days of your interaction," said the official.