On-line platforms of matrimony raking up moolah as frauds on rise
| Date :20-Jun-2019 |
By Dheeraj Fartode:
Taking advantage of breakdown in traditional way of fixing marriages, fraudsters are taking people for a ride
A 40-year-old married man was arrested by Beltarodi police last year for duping more than five women by nearly Rs 80 lakh. The man identified as Akash Agrawal would target women using the platform of matrimonial website. After zeroing on the target, Agrawal would unravel this game plan and given his handsome personality, it did not take him long to lure the lonely women. Agrawal would flaunt his wealth, move around in an SUV, and the women already taken in by his personality would hardly doubt his story of losses in business and needing some financial help to tide over the crisis. So under pretext of marrying the wealthy women, he would take advantage and thereafter vanish into thin air, leaving his targets nursing their luck.
He was using matrimonial sites to trap the women by uploading fake profiles on the websites. Given the fact that till date no one is convicted for misusing the digital platform for cheating someone, criminal minds are finding matrimonial websites useful to willfully target fairer sex. For police already bogged with routine duties, tracking down such culprits is an uphill task, as it needs lot of patience and knowledge of digital world to reach the fraudsters. A total of 47 such matrimonial frauds were registered in the State during the last year. Fraudsters create fake profiles on the matrimonial websites, posing as a highly qualified person or some high profile business person.
According to statistics, a total of 28 such frauds were reported in the State in the year 2015 of which the police have got success in nabbing culprit in 13 cases. The number reduced to 24 in year 2016 as detection came down to 13 cases. In the year 2017, a total of 36 cases were registered in year 2017 and the police have arrested culprits involved in 16 cases. The number rose to 47 in year 2018 while just 15 cases were detected by the police. A police officer informed The Hitavada that the fraudsters are sweet talkers and they emotionally blackmail the victims and seek monetary benefits. They create solid profile on matrimonial sites and also take care to update their social media accounts with ample photos and data to leave an impression that one can hardly forget.
This helps in establishing easy connect with their gullible victims. These criminals use meticulously crafted pictures on their profiles resembling to occupation mentioned in their profile. After establishing trust, the crooks propose marriage and then cook up stories of sudden financial crisis. Victims often fall prey to such 'sweet' talks of these crooks and ended up giving their savings to the fraudsters. In the Beltarodi case, the fraudsters had grabbed residential plots, jewellery and lakhs of rupees from five women till tables were turned on him by one of his victim.
Number of fraudulent matrimonial sites on rise
Taking advantage of collapse of traditional ways of fixing marriage, some unscrupulous persons have floated matrimonial companies through which they are duping a large number of the young girls/boys desperate to find a life partners. Also one major problem in society today is everybody aspires for a high-profile girl/boy and therein lies the catch. Many fraudulent matrimonial companies are operating in major cities which are stealing booklets from Vadhu-Var Parichay Melava of various communities centres or local organisations or small entrepreneurs who dedicatedly built their sites.
Using contact numbers of possible groom/bride mentioned in these booklets, the crooks make phone calls to parents of probable groom/bride and inquire about their expectations. Later fake profile of probable groom/bride as per the expectation of client are created and same link is then sent to parents or the youth. As the client shows interest in the profile, the crooks then ask them to subscribe for their services for Rs 5,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 15,000 per year.
Once subscribed, the crooks starts giving excuses to the client. These excuses includes - relative of the client died or the client had met with an accident or marriage of the client is fixed or cutest excuse is that owing to delayed payment the match is no longer available. Such frauds remained under reported as common man does not realise they are being duped by the matrimonial companies taking advantage of their vulnerability. Experts on the issue said that verifying the credentials of these crooks who set up profiles on matrimonial websites is easier. Every person must ask for proof about date of birth, an employee Id that corroborates their professional claims, a proof of residential address and copy of salary slips. Such minor checks does help in remaining alert and avoid possible trap and loss of money.