News reports
of matrimonial scams are becoming increasingly frequent in India. Undertaken by
lone operatives, these cons put up attractive fake profiles on dating and
matrimonial sites to lure prospective suitors into online relationships, and
then pry small sums of money from them. Once drawn into emotional relationship,
the con asks for small sums of money to fund a medical emergency or a friend’s
urgent need for cash. The sums are small enough not to arouse suspicion until
the con vanishes. When a request for money is made after several months of
building an online relationship it becomes difficult for the victim to exhibit
a lack of trust by questioning the need for money or denying the request.
Participants
on these online matrimonial sites exchange personal information during the get
to know each other period. Personal information and pictures may later be used
to tarnish reputation for blackmail or revenge. Most of these sites do not
offer any validation or verification as to the authenticity of the profiles on
the sites. It would not be appropriate to engage with any prospective suitors online
without real world verification. Users of matrimonial sites should bear in mind
that the conmen have a lot of patience and engage multiple victims
simultaneously for months. A request for money is usually a warning indicator.
There was
also the interesting case of a man suing a popular matrimonial profile for
allegedly putting fake profiles of beautiful girls on their site to lure
members to take a paid membership. When the man subscribed and found that none
of the attractive girls seemed interested in his profile, he faked several
profiles which met their requirements of an ideal groom and found a similar
lack of response. This led him to conclude the profiles were faked, and besides
having been cheated of the subscription fee, deprived him of his
self-confidence.
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