A 54-year-old chartered accountant (CA) from Powai was allegedly cheated of Rs 3.2 lakh by an online dating portal last month. The police are on the lookout for three accused, but suspect there are more people involved in the case.
According to Powai police, the complainant, who is divorced, came across a dating website on April 8. “He called on the number given on the site and spoke to a woman,” said an officer. The woman personnel took the complainant’s details, including his Aadhar number, and sent him photographs of four women, he said. “The complainant then decided to meet one of the women whose pictures he was shown. He was asked to pay Rs 830 to get a speed-dating card. When he wanted to speak to the woman he had selected, he was asked to pay an additional Rs 18,700. After he paid the amount, he got the woman’s phone number,” the officer said.
The complainant and the woman then spoke to each other on the phone. Later, he told her wanted to meet her. However, she said he would have to pay the website money towards a privacy agreement, security deposit and other clauses to meet her. The complainant then deposited money amounting to Rs 2 lakh to an account, the details of which were shared by the woman. However, despite paying the money, the woman kept refusing to meet him. When the complainant called the website again, he was asked to speak to the boss, who identified himself as Avinash, in Kolkata.
Avinash told the complainant he would arrange his meeting with the woman if he deposited more money. However, the complainant found something amiss and asked them to cancel his meeting. When the accused demanded more money to cancel the meeting, the complainant realised he had been cheated. He also discovered the website was fake, the officer said. He approached the Powai police on Saturday and a case was registered against the website personnel, the woman he spoke to over the phone, and the boss, Avinash. “This could be a bigger racket and we suspect the trio may have duped more people,” another officer said.
{{/usCountry}}Avinash told the complainant he would arrange his meeting with the woman if he deposited more money. However, the complainant found something amiss and asked them to cancel his meeting. When the accused demanded more money to cancel the meeting, the complainant realised he had been cheated. He also discovered the website was fake, the officer said. He approached the Powai police on Saturday and a case was registered against the website personnel, the woman he spoke to over the phone, and the boss, Avinash. “This could be a bigger racket and we suspect the trio may have duped more people,” another officer said.
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