NRI from Trichy loses Rs 38.5 lakh in online investment scam

Trichy: A 33-year-old NRI from Trichy allegedly lost Rs 38.5 lakh after being duped into investing in a fake online trading platform by a woman he met through a matrimony application.

According to Trichy city cybercrime police, the victim, Ram Prakash of Thiruvanaikoil, has been working in Saudi Arabia. In Nov 2025, his 68-year-old father received a matrimonial proposal through a mobile application from a man identified as Subash, who introduced his daughter, Parkavi, as a prospective bride for Ram Prakash.

After exchanging contact details, Ram Prakash began communicating with Parkavi through WhatsApp calls. She allegedly claimed to be working as a senior manager with a logistics and supply chain company in Germany and later persuaded him to invest in an e-commerce trading platform, promising high returns.

Believing her claims, Ram Prakash transferred Rs 38.5 lakh in multiple instalments to various bank accounts between Nov 2025 and April 2026, following her instructions.

When neither the promised returns nor details of the investment were forthcoming, he realised that he had been cheated. Through his father, he lodged a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.

Based on the complaint, Trichy city cybercrime police registered a case and launched an investigation.