UK Software Engineer Swindled of Over Rs 1.1 Crore by Matrimonial Site Fraudster

New Delhi, July 31, 2023: A distressing case of extortion has come to light, where a UK-based software engineer was swindled of more than Rs 1.1 crore by a woman he met on a matrimonial website.

The woman, operating under a fake profile, lured the victim by engaging in a video call where she allegedly stripped herself. Whitefield CEN Crime police have successfully frozen Rs 84 lakh in the woman’s accounts.

The victim, Sunny (name changed), 41, originally from KR Puram and working in the United Kingdom, had come to Bengaluru for training and decided to seek a life partner through a matrimonial platform.

It was on this site that he encountered the woman with the fake identity, and after a few days of messaging, they exchanged phone numbers. The woman portrayed an interest in marrying Sunny and mentioned living with her mother after her father’s demise.

On July 2, she called Sunny, requesting Rs 1,500 for her mother’s medical emergency. However, the situation took a dark turn on July 4 when she made a video call at midnight, during which she allegedly removed her clothes and recorded the call secretly. Using the recorded clip, she threatened to expose him to his parents unless he complied with her demands.

Over the course of the extortion, Sunny transferred a staggering sum of Rs 1,14,00,000 to two bank accounts and four mobile numbers provided by the woman. It was only later that he discovered her real name, prompting him to approach the police and file a complaint. The case has been registered under the Information Technology Act, and efforts are underway to trace the accused.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Whitefield), S Girish, urged the public to exercise caution when dealing with strangers online and to disconnect from any inappropriate or suspicious calls immediately.