Mumbai: Senior citizen loses ₹74L in dating app fraud
What's the story
A 62-year-old man from New Panvel, Navi Mumbai, was allegedly duped of ₹73.72 lakh by a woman he met on a dating app. The woman, who identified herself as Zia, lured him into investing in a gold trading scheme with promises of high returns. The two had initial conversations on the dating app before moving to WhatsApp.
Investment details
Victim invested money through specific trading app
Over three months, the victim invested ₹73.72 lakh through a specific trading app as advised by Zia. However, when he did not receive any returns on his investment, he grew suspicious. Upon trying to contact Zia about his promised returns and invested funds, she stopped responding and eventually cut off all communication with him.
Legal action
Case registered under BNS sections
After realizing he had been duped, the victim approached Khandeshwar police station and lodged a complaint. The cops registered a case under sections 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act. They are now working to trace Zia and follow digital footprints related to this fraudulent transaction.
Previous cases
Similar cases reported earlier
This incident is not an isolated case. In June 2023, a Mumbai businessman lost nearly ₹80 lakh to four women he met on a social media platform who lured him into fake dollar trading schemes. In May of this year, a banker and two others were arrested for scamming an IT professional out of ₹69 lakh through fake trading accounts promising high returns from online share market investments.