Dating app chat turns costly: Delhi man loses Rs 82.5 lakh after conversation with a woman

A 41-year-old resident of west Delhi allegedly lost around ₹82.5 lakh after a woman he met on a dating app introduced him to an online business opportunity promising high profits, police said. The man was initially persuaded to invest a small amount and later encouraged to make larger payments through cryptocurrency platforms. He realised he had been defrauded only after his account was blocked and he was removed from a WhatsApp group.

How the online business trap began

According to the man's complaint, he came in contact with a woman who introduced herself as Luna last year. She claimed to be a Singapore national working with a multinational company in Bengaluru.


The woman allegedly gained his confidence and told him that she was making substantial profits by running an online store through a mobile application. She then encouraged him to start a similar business.

The conversation later shifted to WhatsApp, where the man was added to a group. There, he was introduced to another woman named Bella.

Small investment turned into large transfers

The man initially transferred ₹10,000 to an account. He was subsequently persuaded to use cryptocurrency platforms to transfer more money.

At one stage, he managed to withdraw around ₹2 lakh from the account. This reportedly strengthened his belief that the online business was genuine and that his investment was secure.

The accused later told him that the value of the credit in his account had fallen. He was allegedly asked to deposit $25,000, or nearly ₹24 lakh, to restore access to certain benefits.

The man made the payment, according to his complaint.

Overall, he claimed to have transferred around ₹82.5 lakh to different accounts controlled by the accused.

More money demanded as margin deposit

The alleged fraud did not end after the ₹82.5 lakh transfers.

The man was later told that his “collaboration” with staffers of the group had been detected and that his withdrawals had been restricted.

He was allegedly asked to pay another $35,000, or around ₹34 lakh, as a margin deposit to resolve the issue.

At this point, the man became suspicious of the transactions.

WhatsApp group removed, account blocked

After he began questioning the transactions, the man was removed from the WhatsApp group. His access to the profile was also blocked, leaving him unable to withdraw the money.

It was then that he realised the online business arrangement was allegedly a carefully planned fraud.

The man subsequently approached the police. A case has been registered based on his complaint.