A 26-year-old architect lost Rs 7.89 lakh to a cyber fraudster she had met on a matrimonial website. The accused, claiming to be an architect based in London, promised to marry the woman, but ended up duping her out of her family’s hard-earned money.
Note from NRIForShaadi.com team: Its not the fault of any particular matrimonial website. These frauds are very common on all matrimonial sites. Both NRI and Indians based in India, both girls and boy, are doing such SHAMELESS frauds. Never give your money to anyone without meeting them and their parents first. Most common fraud is when fraudster becomes your friend/close friend after few chat/call conversations on whatsapp and then before meeting you, one day will create a fake medical/aiport customs/family emergency and will ask for money as help from you. If you avoid paying the money, fraudster will say emotional things to you. BUT DON’T PAY THE MONEY. ALWAYS ASK TO MEET WITH PARENTS FIRST BEFORE GIVING MONEY. TELL THEM THAT YOUR DAD WILL CARRY THE MONEY. IN 100/100 cases, fraudster will stop talking to you if you don’t give the money and if you insist on meeting with parents. You will be saved. Report such people to matrimonial websites and cyber crime branch.
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The victim had created her profile on a matrimonial website. On June 12, she received a request for a conversation from the profile of someone claiming to be Ankush Lokhande. The fraudster claimed to be an architect settled in London. The two then exchanged their contact numbers, and a few conversations later, decided to get married. “On June 26, the fraudster claiming to be Ankush Lokhande told the victim that he would come to Mumbai on June 28. He sent her his flight and ticket details, which of course, were fake. Lokhande even sent a video clip showing him boarding his flight,” said a police officer.
Next day, the victim received a call on her phone from a person who claimed to be from the Delhi customs department. The caller said that Lokhande had been detained at the Delhi airport by customs officials as he was carrying a lot of gold jewellery with him. The accused asked the victim to help him clear from the customs. She agreed and deposited Rs 7.89 lakh in several instalments in the bank accounts provided by Lokhande, the officer said.
After receiving the money, Lokhande told the woman that he had taken a flight to Mumbai from Delhi on July 3. The victim and her father went to the airport to receive Lokhande but after waiting for several hours and unable to contact him on phone, they realised that they had been duped. The police have registered a case against Lokhande for cheating and forgery under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
