A 34-year-old man from Ullal in western Bengaluru lost over Rs 44 lakh in an online scam while searching for a life partner, police officials confirmed.
The victim, Sharan PS (name changed), came across a profile named Archana on a matrimonial website on May 5 and sent a connection request. Archana accepted the request and asked Sharan to continue the conversation on WhatsApp. Believing she was a woman working in Germany, Sharan shared his number and began chatting with her.
Over the next few days, they exchanged personal information and interests. Archana then shared a link to a fake cryptocurrency investment website, www.bitcoin-az.com, claiming it was focused on Bitcoin and highlighting its advantages. Trusting her, Sharan created an account on the site and initially transferred Rs 1.5 lakh to a bank account provided by the suspect.
The website’s dashboard showed his investment along with a fake profit of Rs 10,000. Between May 18 and June 23, Sharan continued transferring money—totalling Rs 44.97 lakh—to at least seven different bank accounts and several UPI IDs given by the suspect.
“During this period, the suspect stayed in constant touch, chatting intimately and encouraging him to keep transferring money,” a police officer said.
When Sharan attempted to withdraw his funds, the suspect demanded more investment and eventually stopped all communication. The West CEN police have filed an FIR and launched an investigation into the matter.
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