Bengaluru, Sept 18: In an elaborate dating scam, a woman claiming to be a divorcee trapped a divorced man from Bengaluru and cheated him of Rs 1.05 crore.
CK Baba, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast), said the man, a HR professional at a private company, met the woman on a matrimonial site this year.
The woman, who goes by the name Prakathi Sreedharan on social media, is reportedly based in Kerala. She reached out to the man, aged between 35 and 40, on the matrimonial site after their profiles matched.
In the course of their chats, the woman told him she was divorced. The duo reportedly bonded over discussions on failed marriages and ongoing divorces and became close in three to four months.
Having gained the man’s confidence, the woman said she was investing in an online foreign exchange trading platform. She lured him into sharing his personal and financial details with her, promising big returns after describing how she had earned Rs 12 crore as returns on her investment.
Investing small amounts over time, the victim spent a total of Rs 1.05 crore on the trading platform. However, when he tried to contact her to recover his returns, she threatened him with serious repercussions, holding his personal information as leverage.
Without his knowledge, she had changed his pin and security information, logging him out of his bank account.
The man then lodged a complaint with the southeastern CEN police, who swiftly blocked the bank account and began the process of recovering the lost amount.
Cautioning people against falling victim to online fraud, Baba said, "Awareness is your shield against digital deceit. This is a reminder that trust should be earned and not bought at the cost of losing your hard-earned money."
Police advisory to those using dating/matrimonial platforms:
1) Don’t share personal & financial information, address, or documents
2) Meet in public spaces a few times and verify their authenticity
3) Avoid intimate chats/calls through virtual platforms
4) Be wary of casual, quick declarations of love or personal details
5) Do not get into hasty investment decisions, especially online
6) Contact 1930 or 112 if you suspect fraud
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