E-Paper
Chandigarh | Lured by ‘dating site’ offer, 63-yr-old man duped of ₹21 lakh
The victim, said that in June 2019, he received a call from a representative of the dating site promising him free dates and trips to locations outside India
Lured by a free dating service and provision of foreign trips, a 63-year-old man duped of ₹21 lakh in the pretext of securing the membership of a dating site.
In his complaint, Arun Kumar, said that in June 2019, he received a call from an unidentified woman, who identified herself as Neha and offered him a free dating service for which precondition was to become a member.
He received another call a few days later and was offered a membership at ₹1,030. He was assured that the expense of the date would be borne by the woman with whom the dates are arranged. He was also offered 2-3 foreign trips per year. Lured by the offer, the victim agreed and made the payment.
The victim was asked to deposit an amount of ₹10,000 after selecting a partner for the date. After depositing the money, he received a call and was informed that the date has been fixed for the evening. After choosing to have the date at a location away from his house, he was asked to pay a refundable deposit of ₹32,500, being assured that his date would be paying the same amount.
He then received a call from a person identifying as Sameer Kumar, who said a card approved and acceptable by the Government of India and made an additional price.
The victim then asked to withdraw his name from the offer, but was threatened by the caller who said he would be implicated by the woman that he was scheduled to meet. He again received a call from Neha, the earlier contact, after 15 days asking him to deposit ₹8,300 for the deletion of his profile.
He deposited the money, but was asked for another payment. The victim claimed that the same continued as he ended up depositing ₹21 lakh to the accused, who threatened him with leaking his information on social media. The money was deposited in different SBI bank accounts.
Acting on his complaint, a case under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code was registered at Sector 39 police station.
