A police official said that since the accused is wanted, it is not clear if he provided accurate information about himself. (Photo: Pixabay)
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A 65-year-old college professor in Mumbai was cheated of Rs 9.89 lakh by a man who posed as a prospective groom on a popular matrimonial portal and tricked her into sending him the amount on the pretext of getting her daughter a job at the airport, the police said.
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An FIR was registered on December 8 at the Azad Maidan police station. According to the police, the complainant was looking for a prospective groom for her 36-year-old unmarried daughter when she was duped.
In 2019, the FIR says, the professor came across a profile on a matrimonial site. The profile was of the wanted accused, who identified himself as Sachin Joshi, a hotelier in Mumbai. According to the profile, the accused was a resident of Chakala in Andheri and earned around Rs 12 lakh a year.
A police official said that since the accused is wanted, it is not clear if he provided accurate information about himself.
According to the police, the professor was impressed by the accused’s profile and sent him a connect request, which he accepted. The two got acquainted and exchanged mobile numbers. Subsequently, the professor’s daughter and the accused started communicating.
The complainant then asked the accused if he could find a job for her daughter, to which he said he could get her a job with Airports Authority of India but she needed to shell out Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh, the police said.
In December 2019, the professor allegedly started sending money to the accused in lieu of form fees and medical tests. Till March 2022, she ended up paying a total of Rs 9.89 lakh, the FIR says. Some money was given in cash after he met her at random places in Mumbai, and the remaining amount was given to his aide and sent to different bank accounts, the FIR adds.
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After paying the amount, when the professor asked about the appointment letter and the wedding plans, the accused allegedly came up with excuses. After he stopped communicating with the professor, she realised she had been cheated and approached the police on October 12 this year.
A police official from Azad Maidan police station said that the professor delayed approaching the police because she thought he would eventually return her money.
