Bengaluru man’s online ‘love story’ ends in heartbreak after falling prey to dating scam worth ₹32 lakh

A man from Bengaluru, lost over ₹32 lakh to an online dating scam. Cybercriminals posing as matchmakers persuaded him to pay fees over several weeks.

A 63-year-old resident of Horamavu, East Bengaluru, was cheated of over ₹32 lakh after falling prey to an online dating scam. Cybercriminals posing as agents offering meetings with “high-society women” convinced the man to transfer large sums of money over several weeks.

The man chose a woman identified as “Ritika”, and her phone number was shared with him. (Unsplash )

According to the complaint lodged with the East CEN Crime Police on October 23, the fraud occurred between September 5 and October 18. The victim said he was first contacted by someone claiming to run a private dating service that arranged meetings with women. The caller persuaded him to pay a registration fee of ₹1,950 through an online transfer, as per a report by Times of India (TOI).

Soon after, the fraudsters sent him photographs of three women on WhatsApp and asked him to select one. The man chose a woman identified as “Ritika”, and her phone number was shared with him. They began communicating regularly, and over time, their chats became personal and affectionate. Ritika assured him that she wanted to meet him in person soon.

Just before the Dasara festival, Ritika told him she would be travelling to visit her family and asked him not to call or message her for a few days. Shortly after, he received a call from another woman, who introduced herself as “Priti”. She claimed to be coordinating his meeting with Ritika and asked him to pay several additional fees for arrangements.

Trusting her, the man transferred money to three different bank accounts as instructed. Despite spending several lakhs, Priti continued to demand more payments, citing various charges. When he hesitated, the scammers threatened him with legal action, pressuring him to send further amounts.

By the time he realised he had been deceived, the victim had lost ₹32.2 lakh. Police have registered a case under the Information Technology Act and Section 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation in the case in underway.