A troubling case of online fraud has emerged from Ahmedabad, where a 40-year-old professional was cheated of ₹56.35 lakh through a fake investment scheme that began on a dating platform. The incident reflects a rising pattern of cybercriminals using emotional connections to execute financial scams.
According to a complaint filed with cyber crime authorities, the victim, a deputy manager at a pharmaceutical company living in Maninagar, connected with a woman named Aarohi Gupta on Tinder. What started as casual conversation soon turned into frequent chats, eventually leading to discussions about investment opportunities.
Investigators said the accused built trust over time before introducing a currency trading scheme, claiming it offered very high returns and appeared reliable. The victim agreed and was asked to download an unknown app and create an account using personal documents.
He initially invested ₹40,000, and soon saw his balance rise to over ₹43,000 on the app, creating a sense of profit. Encouraged by this, he continued investing and eventually transferred ₹35.40 lakh. The app showed inflated returns, with the balance reportedly reaching ₹1.24 crore.
The fraud became clear when the victim tried to withdraw money. The accused demanded additional payments under various reasons such as taxes, processing fees, and other charges. Trusting the process, he paid ₹17 lakh and ₹3.95 lakh more in separate transactions.
Despite paying a total of ₹56.35 lakh, he could not withdraw any funds. The app stopped responding, and the accused became unreachable. Realising the fraud, he approached cyber crime police, who registered a case and began an investigation.
Preliminary findings show the scam used social engineering and digital manipulation. Fake trading platforms were designed to display false profits, making them appear genuine.
Cyber experts warn that dating apps are increasingly being used for such scams. Fraudsters create fake profiles, build emotional trust, and later introduce investment schemes. Once victims invest, they are pressured into making more payments.
Authorities are now tracing bank transactions, IP addresses, and communication records to track those involved. Officials have also advised people to stay cautious while interacting with unknown individuals online and to verify any investment platform before sending money.
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