Undercover cops bust online matrimony scam
Kharghar police arrest fraudster Nabeel Munir Khan who targeted unmarried women with false marriage proposals, leading to a loss of ₹6.31 lakh.
Kharghar: A team of Kharghar police went undercover as bank officials to arrest a learned fraudster soliciting unmarried women with false marriage proposals. Employing a meticulous strategy, the police tracked five mobile numbers associated with the accused and conducted thorough Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR) analyses to pinpoint his location.
The breakthrough came following a complaint lodged by a 27-year-old woman who had fallen victim to the fraudster’s scheme, losing her hard-earned money in the process. The accused, identified as Nabeel Munir Khan, 30, originally from Shrivardhan, Raigad, had befriended the victim through a matrimonial site. Presenting himself as a successful businessman with ventures in South Africa and Dongri, he coerced the victim into transferring a total of ₹6.31 lakh to various overseas bank accounts between November 2023 and February 2024. “The accused gained the complete trust of the woman and made her transfer money regularly on various pretexts of requiring financial aid for business purposes or his family. When the complainant realised something amiss and asked him to return her money the accused threatened her with dire consequences and discontinued talking or chatting with her,” said Police Inspector Atul Aher (Crime) from Kharghar police station.
The breakthrough in the investigation came from analysing call records associated with the fifth mobile number used by the accused. Despite his frequent changes in phone numbers, a call made to a local bank provided crucial information leading to his identification. A visit to the bank revealed that the accused had attempted to open an account, prompting the manager to request KYC documents from his residence.
Capitalising on this lead, the police posed as bank officials and visited his house in Shrivardhan. Despite finding no mobile network connection at the house adjacent to the beach, the accused was absent, and his relatives informed the officers of his pending paperwork. Upon his return, the police arrested him.
Further investigation revealed that the accused was already married and possessed a diploma in computers, indicating a familiarity with technology. Additionally, ongoing investigations in Mumbra suggest his involvement in other criminal activities. Authorities are also scrutinizing large-scale transactions conducted through overseas accounts.
The case has been registered under IPC section 420, 506, along with the Information Technology Act 2000, section 66D.