Bengaluru: A 27-year-old east Bengalurean working in a BPO fell prey to a trap laid by cybercrooks on an LGBTQ dating app and lost Rs 1.7 lakh.
Satish (name changed), a resident of Govindapura, opened an account on Grindr app a few months ago. He received interest from an account in the name of Randy Armstrong in Jan this year. Satish accepted his interest. Armstrong claimed he was a cardiologist in the US.
“Armstrong told me that he lost his parents when he was 15 years old and he was a cardiologist in one of the reputed hospitals. I got carried away with his concocted story and informed him about the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. I invited him to attend the event where we could meet,” Satish told TOI.
On Feb 1, Armstrong informed Satish he was coming to India and would meet him. He sent an image of a flight ticket to Delhi, claiming that there was no direct flight to Bengaluru from the US. Satish was waiting for Armstrong when he received a call from 9220327955. A woman introduced herself as Shashikala and claimed that she was a customs officer deployed at the Delhi airport and they had detained Armstrong as he was carrying $2.5 lakh, which was illegal according to Indian law.
Shashikala told Satish that Armstrong had to pay tax and other charges or he would be arrested. Armstrong spoke from the same number and broke down. He told Satish that he needed his help to get away from customs. When Satish told him that he didn’t have money to pay the tax, Armstrong threatened to kill himself.
Satish was initially asked for Rs 75,000. Satish, who was short of money, took a loan from an online loan app and transferred the sum through a digital payment app to the number the fake officer provided. After some time, he received a call from Shashikala asking him to pay Rs 1 lakh more to get Armstrong released. “I refused to pay, saying that I had no more money, but Armstrong again threatened me that he would end his life if I didn’t help him. He promised to return my money once he reached Bengaluru with the US dollars. I didn’t know how to respond and again borrowed Rs 1 lakh from my friends and a loan app and transferred the same. After that, they asked me for more. When I tried to reach Armstrong on his number, it was switched off. That’s when I realised it was a fraud. I didn’t lodge a complaint immediately, thinking of social stigma. My sister and my friends convinced me to lodge a complaint later,” Satish said.
An officer said: “By the time the complaint was filed in Feb-end, the amount had already been transferred to mule accounts and withdrawn by the fraudsters. We have registered a case under the Information Technology Act. The incident highlights the growing concern over online scams targeting users of dating platforms. We urge people not to transfer money unless they meet in person.”