A 45-year-old woman reportedly lost ₹56 lakh after creating a profile on a matrimonial website in Noida’s Sector 41 and being approached by a potential groom, according to police on Sunday. The suspect, after weeks of conversation, allegedly convinced her to lend him money by claiming it was necessary to avoid law enforcement at an airport, police reported.
In her police report, with her name kept confidential, the Sector 41 resident stated that the individual, Prakashbhai Patel, contacted her on January 1 through the phone number listed on the matrimonial site. “He expressed interest in marriage. Over several days, he gained my trust by portraying himself as genuinely committed…,” reported the first information report (F.I.R.) filed at the cybercrime branch police station, Noida.
A few days later he claimed he was out of the country and was coming to India on January 27. “On that day, he claimed he was detained at the airport for carrying excess foreign currency. He requested money to resolve the issue. Despite initial hesitation, I sent the funds after emotional blackmail,” the FIR added.
Police later said that a woman, who was posing as a finance ministry official, had called her and demanded money in order to prevent legal action against her. “Later, the victim received multiple threats and fake summons from Mumbai Police. In multiple transactions from January 27 to April 27, she ended up losing ₹5,640,000. In the last four months, the fraudsters told the victim that he was detained and required financial help,” said Ranjeet Kumar Singh, Station House Officer or SHO of the Cyber Crime Branch.
Later, when the man continued to give excuses for not returning her money, she found out that she had been trapped and filed a complaint on Friday, officers said.
“We are tracing the money trail. As of now, ₹15,000 was frozen. A case under section 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by impersonation), and 336 (forgery) of the BNS and the IT Act was registered, and further investigation is underway,” the SHO added.
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