Bengaluru Senior Citizen Loses Rs 32 Lakh in Elaborate WhatsApp Dating Scam: A Cautionary Tale

A 63-year-old resident from Horamavu in Bengaluru has fallen victim to a sophisticated WhatsApp dating scam, resulting in a loss of over Rs 32 lakh. The perpetrators enticed the man with promises of connecting him with "high-society women" through their exclusive dating service.

The deception occurred between September 5 and October 18, with the victim ultimately filing a complaint with the East CEN Crime Police on October 23 after becoming aware of the fraud.

According to police reports and The Times of India, the scam began when the elderly man was contacted by individuals who presented themselves as representatives of an elite dating service that specialized in arranging introductions with women from wealthy backgrounds.

The victim was initially requested to pay a nominal registration fee of approximately Rs 1,950. Following this payment, he received photographs of three women and was asked to select one. After choosing a woman named Ritika, he began communicating with her via WhatsApp, and she promised an in-person meeting.

Before Dussehra, Ritika informed the man that she would be visiting family and requested that he refrain from contacting her temporarily. She introduced him to another woman named Priti, who supposedly would coordinate their eventual meeting.

To advance the arrangement, the man was asked to pay various fees including processing charges, coordination expenses, membership upgrades, and additional service costs.

With each transfer of funds, he was told that further payments were necessary to finalize the meeting arrangements. Believing in the legitimacy of the service, he sent money in multiple installments to different bank accounts. Over the course of several weeks, he transferred approximately Rs 32.2 lakh. When he eventually hesitated to make more payments, the fraudsters resorted to threats, which finally made him realize he had been scammed.

The victim has filed a formal complaint, and authorities have registered a case under the Information Technology Act and Section 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigators are currently working to trace the money trail and identify the individuals behind this elaborate scam operation.