Hyderabad: A 32-year-old resident of Malakpet in Hyderabad, looking for a life partner, fell victim to an online dating and friendship scam and ended up losing Rs 6.5 lakh.
According to a press release from the Hyderabad cyber crime police, the victim, whose name has been withheld, was approached by a woman named Tanya Sharma after clicking on a dating site link.
He received a WhatsApp call from Sharma, who offered to add him to a ‘friendship group’ with a registration fee of Rs 1,950.
Later, two other women, Priti and Ritika, contacted the victim and convinced him to make several payments, including hotel bookings, meeting confirmation, service tax, refund process, account verification, and privacy security, police said. The release does not clearly state what role Priti and Ritika serve.
After making multiple transactions to different bank accounts, the victim lost Rs 6.5 lakh. Upon realising he had been cheated, he filed a complaint.
Public advisory
People have been asked to be cautious of unsolicited calls or messages and never to make transactions before verifying the identity of the receiver.
In case one falls victim to such cybercrimes, they can report it through the helpline number 1930 or the official website.
