Premium

Dating app match dupes lab assistant of Rs 88,000

The accused who claimed to have houses in Mumbai and Pune told her that he invested money in the stock market and could also help her get good returns on investments.

By April, she had transferred a total of Rs 88,000 and every time she asked him to send some proof of investment, he would claim to send it soon but never did so. (Express Photo)

The Mumbai police have booked a man for duping a 27-year-old woman of Rs 88,000 by getting her to transfer the money in his account on the pretext of helping her invest her money and later going incommunicado.

An officer from Mulund police station said in January this year, the woman, who is employed as a lab technologist in the eastern suburbs, downloaded the dating app ‘Bumble’, where a person, identified as ‘Danish’, liked her profile. The woman liked the profile back, following which the two started talking on the app and later exchanged numbers.

Over a period of a month, Danish, who claimed to have houses in Mumbai and Pune, told her that he invested money in the stock market and could also help her get good returns on investments.

Story continues below this ad

According to police, he initially told her to pay Rs 50,000 to get her registered on the share trading app following which, he asked her to pay another Rs 38,000 for investment.

Also Read | Love, lies, and loss: How scammers on dating apps lure lonely hearts

By April, she had transferred a total of Rs 88,000 and every time she asked him to send some proof of investment, he would claim to send it soon but never did so. Eventually, when she called him several times on April 15, he blocked her, said a police officer. Realizing she had been duped, the woman first sent an e-mail of her complaint to Mulund police station. Later, she appeared in person and submitted a complaint, following which an FIR was registered against the accused.

An officer said cyber fraudsters earlier used matrimony sites but have now infiltrated dating platforms and that people should be careful while interacting with people on such platforms. “We have sought the IP address of the person from the dating platform and are hoping to trace his location,” said the officer.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram