Man cons Hyderabad woman of Rs. 8L in a matrimony fraud
Hyderabad: In yet another case of matrimonial fraud, a Hyderabad woman fell prey to an online scam after an individual she met on the matrimonial website Shaadi.com defrauded her of nearly ₹8 lakh.
According to the complaint, the victim registered on Shaadi.com hoping to find a life partner. She was contacted by a man claiming to be an Indian citizen residing in London. The individual, who identified himself as Ryan Sharma, started speaking to her over WhatsApp for about 15 days before proposing marriage.
Following the proposal, Sharma allegedly informed the victim that he was sending her a surprise engagement gift containing luxury items worth ₹38 lakh, including a diamond necklace, ring, gold watch, iPhone, dresses, and ₹6 lakh in cash.
Subsequently, she received a call from someone claiming to be a representative of "ABC Cargo Delivery" at Mumbai Airport. The caller informed her that a high value parcel in her name had arrived but was held up due to pending clearances. She was then instructed to pay various fees, starting at ₹16,000 and escalating to a total of ₹7.99 lakhs under the guise of currency exchange charges and safe delivery fees.
The fake "CBI officer" contacted her and demanded ₹1.5 lakh and ₹2.5 lakh to prevent an FIR from being filed against her. Throughout this ordeal, Ryan pressured her to comply with the demands, claiming he was unable to transfer money from the UK. She was coerced into paying ₹7.99 lakh to the fraudster.
Throughout the ordeal, the victim was subjected to threats, blackmail, and emotional manipulation. Despite paying the amount, she neither received the parcel nor had the supposed FIR canceled. She also said that the relentless harassment even drove her to contemplate suicide.
With the support of her flat owner, a police inspector, she approached the Cyber Crime Office and she filed a complaint against the fraudsters. The police have registered an FIR (Cr. No. 9275/2024) under Section 318(4) BNS and an investigation is underway.
