A 34-year-old Bengaluru software engineer was cheated of Rs 6.43 lakh after she matched with a man pretending to be an NRI doctor on a matrimony app. What began as a friendly conversation quickly turned into a costly scam.
According to the FIR filed on November 19, the victim was contacted on October 24 by a man identifying himself as Vikram Sisode through a matrimony app. He claimed to be an orthopaedic doctor working in the Netherlands and soon shifted their conversations to Telegram and phone calls.
On November 6, he allegedly asked her for Rs 25,000, saying he needed it for personal expenses and would repay her once he landed in India. He also told her he planned to start a clinic in Bengaluru and had an interview scheduled at a private hospital in Whitefield.
A week later, on November 13, he claimed he had sent money to an agent in Dubai for hotel arrangements ahead of his supposed visit to India.
The scam deepened on November 15, when the victim, Priya Biswas, received a message from him saying he had reached Delhi Airport and needed money for procedures linked to a large demand draft he was carrying in Euros. Shortly after, she received calls from a woman introducing herself as Anitarajan, who claimed to be an airport staff member. She asked for multiple payments, citing a Demand Draft Declaration Fee, Registration Fee and Insurance Fee.
Believing the calls to be genuine, the victim transferred a total of Rs 6.43 lakh through IMPS and PhonePe to the accounts provided.
When she realised she had been duped, she approached the police. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway to trace those involved.
