From Swipe Right to Swipe Away: NRI Loses Crores in Love Scam

Indore (The Uttam Hindu): A shocking case of cyber fraud has come to light in Indore, where a young NRI software engineer was duped of Rs 2.68 crore by a fake profile on a matrimonial website. The accused, Simran Jaiswani and her brother Vishal Jaiswani, allegedly created a fake profile using pictures of a famous Instagram model and trapped the victim, Venkat Kalaga, in a web of love and deceit.

According to the police, Venkat, a resident of Andhra Pradesh working in North Carolina, USA, created a profile on a reputed matrimonial website and came across the fake profile of "Barkha Jaiswani". The two started chatting and their conversation shifted to WhatsApp and then calls. The accused allegedly shared fake stories of illness, financial problems and debt, and demanded money from Venkat, who transferred a total of Rs 2.68 crore to different accounts between April 2023 and June 2024.

When Venkat started getting suspicious and insisted on making a video call, the accused's true intentions were exposed. Venkat lodged a complaint with the Indore Crime Branch, which led to the arrest of Simran and Vishal. The police investigation revealed that the accused had used the money to pay off their debts, buy a car, and start their own clothing business. The police have taken both accused on remand and are further investigating the case. The authorities have warned people to be cautious of such cyber crimes, where fake profiles and emotional manipulation are used to extort money.