Matrimonial Scam Epidemic: Thane Man Rapes Woman & Defrauds Her Of Rs 39 Lakh

Online matchmaking has become the norm over the past decade. Apart from making it easier for people to find a partner, it has also been used by criminals to scam people. A 2022 report by the National Crime Record Bureau showed that matrimonial fraud is one of the most common forms of cybercrime against women. This is also evident from the fact that we frequently come across news stories of women being duped by men, and vice-versa, through these matrimonial sites.

Cases Of Matrimonial Sites Fraud On The Rise

In a recent alarming case that raises questions about women's safety and the rise of fraudulence via matrimonial sites, a man allegedly raped a woman on the pretext of marriage and defrauded her of 39 lakh rupees. The woman, 37, who was seeking a second marriage after her first marriage failed, met the man, 40, through the matrimonial app. The man made promises to her for days and they decided to meet at a restaurant to discuss further details of the marriage. It was then that the man spiked her drink. The woman found herself lying naked in a hotel room the next morning when she woke up.

The man promised her multiple things thereon, after which, he started to blackmail her with the naked photos he took through the night. It was after the woman investigated further about him that she realised he was married and was a father to kids. 

Man Cheats 50 Women On Matrimony App

In another case of fraud, a 55-year-old man was arrested by the Gurugram police for allegedly cheating 50 women out of millions of rupees after marrying them through matrimonial portals over the past 20 years. The accused had been identified as Tapesh, a native of Jamshedpur.

Tapesh first got married in 1992 in Kolkata and had two daughters. He left his wife and daughter and disappeared in 2000. The case came to light recently after a woman reported it to the Gurugram police, alleging that she had met Tapesh on a matrimony app and they had solemnised their marriage.

She claimed that the accused had taken Rs. 2 million, including jewellery, and fled after 3 days of marriage. Further investigations revealed that the accused had gone to Bengaluru in the meantime and started a job placement agency under the name "Smart Hire Solution."

The accused had been cheating young men and women under the guise of getting them a job. When his fraudulent act did not last long, he started dating divorced and widowed women through a matrimonial app. He would get into relationships with middle-aged women and then cheat on them.

According to a senior police official, the accused had so far been married over 50 times in the past 20 years and duped all the women. He was finally arrested at the drug de-addiction centre in Odisha. The police took him into custody and are currently investigating the case.

Are People Searching For Partners On Matrimonial Sites Only To Defraud Them?

Online matchmaking has become the norm over the past decade. Apart from making it easier for people to find a partner, it has also been used by criminals to scam people. A 2022 report by the National Crime Record Bureau showed that matrimonial fraud is one of the most common forms of cybercrime against women. This is also evident from the fact that we frequently come across news stories of women being duped by men they met on matrimonial sites.

Fraudsters think of matrimonial platforms as ideal places to scam because it’s easier to find genuine information about real women as compared to social media or dating platforms. These women are looking for marriage, so they would be ready to open up to potential grooms. The reason criminals target middle-aged, divorced, or widowed women is because they are a tad bit more vulnerable given society’s obsession with the concept of an ideal woman being a married one.

Why Don't Matrimonial Apps Run A Holistic Check?

Considering that matrimonial websites are one of the most sought-after and trusted platforms in society for finding life partners, shouldn’t these companies ensure the safety of their clients? There are verification mandates necessary to register for many matrimonial applications, but the rising number of matrimonial scams makes it evident that those aren’t enough.

With the ever-growing technological advancements and the free reign fraudsters have over the internet, matrimonial companies have to step up their game in protecting their clients. Given their popularity and huge client base, they have a social responsibility to create a foolproof platform where fraudsters cannot enter.

Views expressed by the author are their own