Bengaluru Women Scammed By Man On Dating App, Loses 4.5 Lakh Rupees

A 37-year-old woman who worked in a private firm in Bengaluru lost Rs. 4.5 lakh to a man she met on a dating app, according to police sources. The woman reported the incident to the Whitefield cyber police station on May 19 seeking help from the city police to retrieve the money.

The police said that the woman had connected with the man, who identified himself as Advik Chopra, residing in Mumbai, on Tinder a month ago. The man had registered under a false identity, and the woman wasn’t aware of it initially. Intrigued by the details on his profile, the woman reciprocated his interest, and they began talking.

Woman Scammed On Dating App

They had been conversing on WhatsApp when Chopra shared that he was a medical practitioner in London. Eventually, he gained her trust, and she fell in love with him. The woman said that Chopra had expressed his desire to meet her in person and claimed that he would fly to Bengaluru via Dubai. A few days later, on May 17, the woman received a call from an unidentified number. The caller claimed to be an official from the Airports Authority of India.

The caller turned out to be a fraud who informed the woman that Chopra had arrived at the Delhi airport with unaccounted cash. He insisted that he would be required to pay 68,500 rupees for Chopra to be able to travel to Bengaluru. The woman added that the fake official had then demanded 1.8 lakh rupees as fees and 2.06 lakh rupees as processing charges.

Believing that Chopra had travelled to India just for her, the woman transferred the amount to the given bank details. She was also asked to pay for goods and services tax (GST). In a complaint to the police, the woman said that since she trusted Chopra, she was anxious that he was really in a difficult situation. Her trust in him had blinded her from checking the authenticity of the person demanding money. She told the police that she only wanted Chopra to make a smooth exit out of the airport so that they could meet at the earliest.

However, when the fake officer demanded an additional Rs. 6 lakh as GST, the women grew suspicious and ended the call abruptly. Soon she discovered that Chopra’s profile on Tinder had been deleted. Her attempts to reach Tinder customer support proved futile.

According to a report by cyber-security company Norton, two-thirds of adults in India, or 66 percent, have fallen prey to online scams through dating and matrimonial portals. In today’s modern world, finding love online is the new norm. But given the increasing rate of online scams via dating apps, individuals need to be extremely cautious about who they connect with online. Instead of rushing into relationships, people need to take it slow and ensure there are no red flags before proceeding.

Suggested Reading: Chatting Before Dating: Five Red Flags To Look Out For