Pune: Techie swindled of Rs 91k by man she met on matrimonial site

An FIR has been registered in this regard at Sangvi police station under Pimpri Chinchwad jurisdiction by the victim who hails from Pune and is currently working for an IT major in Bangalore. She has been working from her home in Pune for the last few months, officials said.

The complainant, who had registered her name on a prominent matrimonial website, came in contact with a man in November 2020 and the two started communicating with each other. A while later, he told her that his mother had been unwell and that he required money for her treatment. The complainant transferred Rs 91,000 to him.

Recently, she found out that the person she had been talking to had lied about his identity and had also been arrested earlier in a similar case of matrimonial site fraud. When she confronted him and asked for the money, he refused to give it back and stopped responding to her calls and messages. The woman then approached the police. After preliminary inquiry, an FIR was registered Wednesday.

The police have urged citizens to exercise utmost caution while communicating with prospective brides and grooms on matrimonial websites. “Other than the obvious step of thoroughly checking on the credentials and background, people should be extra cautious when they are asked for money on various pretexts like illness of family members or gifts, etc. Even the slightest of suspicion should be verified and the police should be contacted immediately in case of such cheating,” said a police officer.