Bengaluru: Tech Professional Allegedly Duped of ₹1.66 Crore by Woman Met on Dating App

A Bengaluru tech professional was allegedly duped of ₹1.66 crore by a woman he met on the Tantan dating app. The accused reportedly lured him into an online trading scheme with promises of love, marriage, and massive financial returns.

A Bengaluru-based tech professional allegedly lost ₹1.66 crore in an elaborate online fraud after being trapped in a fake romantic relationship through a dating app. The incident has once again highlighted the growing dangers of cyber scams that exploit emotions and trust to cheat victims financially.

Despite repeated warnings from cybercrime authorities about online dating and investment scams, several young professionals continue to fall prey to such frauds. In this case, what began as a casual interaction on a dating platform eventually turned into a multi-crore financial scam.

Friendship Turned Into Fake Romance

According to the complaint, the incident began on February 15 when Saurav Dubey matched with a woman identifying herself as ‘Riya Agarwal’ on the Tantan dating app. Their conversations initially began casually before progressing to regular audio and video calls.

Over time, Riya allegedly gained Saurav’s trust by frequently expressing affection and discussing marriage. She reportedly told him, “I love you so much,” while painting an attractive picture of their future together. Police said the techie gradually became emotionally attached to her and trusted her completely.

Techie Allegedly Duped Through Online Trading Scheme

Once she had gained his confidence, Riya allegedly introduced Saurav to an online trading investment scheme, promising massive profits. Believing her claims, he began investing money in multiple stages.

Over nearly three months, Saurav reportedly invested a staggering ₹1.66 crore in the scheme. However, despite the huge investment, he allegedly received only ₹4,250 in returns.

When the promised profits failed to materialise, he reportedly began suspecting that he had been cheated.

Phone Switched Off After Victim Demanded Refund

According to the complaint, the situation took a shocking turn when Saurav asked Riya to return his money. Soon afterwards, her mobile phone was switched off, and all communication with her reportedly stopped.

Realising that he had become the victim of a major cyber fraud, Saurav approached the South East Division’s CEN police station and filed a complaint detailing the incident.

Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the matter. Officials are now trying to identify the woman who introduced herself as ‘Riya Agarwal’ and determine whether it was a fake identity used as part of a larger organised scam network.