Lost in love: Bengaluru software engineer scammed of Rs 50 lakh via dating app while looking for a soulmate

A software engineer from east Bengaluru lost Rs 50 lakh while seeking a partner on a dating app, reported TOI. The engineer, Dinesh (name changed), reported the incident to the east CEN crime police.

In his complaint, Dinesh, 48, stated that he was contacted by a profile named Shruthi Menon on the Happn dating app in June. The two began exchanging messages on Telegram and WhatsApp.

Shruthi reportedly expressed her interest in Dinesh and promised marriage. She then convinced him to invest in the stock market through a portal. Initially, Dinesh invested Rs 40,000 and received a prompt return of Rs 50,000. Encouraged by this, he invested larger amounts totaling Rs 50 lakh in various accounts between June and September.


"I initially invested Rs 40,000 by transferring money to a bank account in the name of Rupal Enterprises provided by the fraudsters, and within a few minutes, they transferred Rs 50,000 back to me saying I had made a profit," TOI quoted Dinesh as saying.

Following this, he made additional investments, withdrawing funds from his insurance policy, taking bank loans, and borrowing from friends and relatives. The portal displayed a balance of Rs 73 lakh in his name. However, when he attempted to withdraw the money, he was asked to pay Rs 32 lakh as fees and taxes.

"But I refused to pay them further and later learnt that the entire process was fraud. I called the cyber helpline 1930 and complained," Dinesh said. Despite reporting the fraud, Shruthi continued to contact him, asking for Rs 8 lakh to facilitate the withdrawal.

Dinesh also mentioned that Shruthi claimed to be from Kerala and spoke fluent Kannada during their video calls. He now suspects the calls were automated recordings.

The case has been registered under the Information Technology Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 318 (cheating).

(With inputs from TOI)