Bengaluru woman duped of Rs 5.6 lakh by man posing as NRI on matrimonial site

A 29-year-old Bengaluru woman lost Rs 5.6 lakh to a scammer posing as a Canadian NRI on a matrimonial site. He faked detainment at Delhi airport and sought money. A case was filed under IT Act and BNS Section 318.

Bengaluru: A 29-year-old woman from Indiranagar fell victim to a cyber scam and lost Rs 5.6 lakh after being duped by a man she met on a matrimonial website.

Preethi (name changed) filed a complaint with the East CEN Crime police on April 24, stating that she had created a profile on a matrimonial site in search of a life partner. On March 3, she received interest from a man named Jayendra Kumar, who claimed to be from Karnataka but with Canadian citizenship. He introduced himself as a senior officer at a reputed company and proposed marriage. They exchanged phone numbers, and Kumar communicated with her via WhatsApp.

Over the next few days, the two shared personal details, and Kumar claimed he was visiting India to meet Preethi and take their relationship forward. To convince her, he sent a photo of his flight ticket, claiming he was bringing expensive gifts and a large sum of money.

On April 17, Kumar informed Preethi that he had landed at IGI Airport in Delhi but was detained by immigration officials for carrying excess money and expensive gifts. He said he needed her financial help to be released. Soon after, a woman named Bhavana Singh contacted Preethi, claiming to be a customs official. She informed Preethi that Kumar would be jailed unless he paid customs charges and taxes for carrying cash beyond the permissible limit.

Kumar then called Preethi, breaking down in tears and begging for her help. Trusting him, Preethi transferred Rs 5.6 lakh in multiple instalments to the account numbers provided by the scammers until April 20. However, after the money was transferred, both Kumar and Bhavana stopped responding to her calls, prompting Preethi to realise she had been defrauded.

Preethi reported the incident to the cyber helpline (1930) and subsequently filed a complaint with the police. A senior police officer noted that such scams have been on the rise over the past few years. He advised the public to be cautious, emphasising that no one would carry expensive gifts or large amounts of cash when travelling to India.

A case has been registered under the Information Technology Act and BNS Section 318 (cheating). The investigation is ongoing.