Man loses 6 lakh in matrimonial fraud in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: A 33-year-old private firm employee from Marathahalli has alleged that he lost Rs 6 lakh to cybercriminals after he uploaded his profile on a matrimonial site.
Rajesh (name changed) said a woman identifying herself as Jonitha Hiremath, a medical researcher in the UK, expressed interest in marrying him. The duo exchanged numbers and started conversing via calls and messages.Jonitha told Rajesh she is returning to India on February 11. Rajesh received a call from an unknown person claiming to be a customs official from Delhi airport, who informed him that Jonitha was caught with a cheque for a huge amount. The caller demanded that he pay customs clearance charges, money exchange and other charges.
An unsuspecting Rajesh transferred Rs 6.1 lakh in three instalments to the bank account numbers provided by the miscreants. He tried to contact Jonitha to know more details about the cheque, but her mobile was switched off. When Rajesh discussed the matter with his friends and relatives, he realised he’d been cheated by the gang. He later lodged a complaint with Whitefield CEN Crime police station.