A 32-year-old man from Malakpet, Hyderabad lost Rs 6.5 lakh in an online dating scam. The man, whose name is not revealed, met a woman named Tanya Sharma through a dating site link. Tanya contacted him via WhatsApp and invited him to join a ‘friendship group’ for a fee of Rs 1,950.
After this, two more women, Priti and Ritika, reached out to him. They persuaded him to pay for various services like hotel bookings, meeting confirmations, service taxes, refund processes, account verification, and privacy security. Trusting them, he transferred a total of Rs 6,49,840 to several bank accounts, eventually losing Rs 6.5 lakh. Realizing he was scammed, he reported the incident to the authorities.
Cyber Crime police warn people to be careful of unsolicited calls or messages on WhatsApp, social media, or dating sites promising friendship or marriage. They advise against paying registration fees, advance amounts, or “refundable charges” for meetings or membership verifications.
People are urged to stay alert and consult with family or friends before making financial decisions online. Victims of such scams can call 1930 or visit cybercrime.gov.in. In emergencies, they can also contact 8712665171 via call or WhatsApp.
