Kanpur police have busted an alleged fake marriage bureau racket that used AI-generated images of women, social media advertisements and a call-center-style operation to target men seeking marriage. Police arrested the alleged mastermind, Ranjish Kumar Gaur, who is accused of running three bogus matrimonial offices in Kanpur and cheating more than 1,700 people over the past four years.
According to investigators, the racket operated from offices in Naubasta, including locations on Karrahi Road, Goshala and Yashoda Nagar. These centres were allegedly presented as legitimate matrimonial service providers and used online advertisements to attract unmarried men looking for prospective brides.
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AI Images Used to Lure Victims
Investigators said the network allegedly created attractive profiles using AI-generated images of women and promoted them through social media platforms. Victims were reportedly promised suitable marriage matches through professionally designed profiles and structured communication.
Police said the accused used the appearance of a formal matrimonial service to build credibility. Once prospective clients showed interest, they were allegedly contacted by telecallers who persuaded them to register and make payments.
The money was allegedly collected in the name of registration fees, profile verification, matchmaking services and other processing charges. Several complainants alleged that communication became limited or stopped completely after payments were made.
Call Centre Network Under Scanner
The investigation found that the operation functioned like a structured call centre. Authorities said 23 female telecallers were employed to contact prospective clients and convince them to pay for matrimonial services.
Police sources said the telecallers were allegedly assigned weekly collection targets. Their salaries and incentives were reportedly linked to the amount collected from clients, indicating a performance-based system within the alleged fraud operation.
Investigators are now examining the total amount generated through the racket and the channels through which the funds were routed. They are also trying to establish how many victims were contacted and how many made payments after being shown AI-generated profiles.
Raids Recover Digital, Financial Records
The case came to light after a resident of Barabanki district filed a complaint alleging that he had been cheated of nearly ₹4 lakh within a few months on the promise of marriage. Cyber investigators analysed call records, mobile numbers and location data, which reportedly showed that several numbers used to contact victims were operating from the same area in Kanpur.
Based on these findings, crime branch and police teams conducted simultaneous raids at the three alleged matrimonial centres. Police arrested the main accused and recovered mobile phones, computers, ATM cards, cheque books, QR codes, registers, internet equipment and other documents.
Investigators also identified 11 bank accounts allegedly linked to the accused. Preliminary scrutiny of some accounts reportedly revealed transactions worth several lakh rupees. Police are continuing efforts to trace other suspected associates, identify additional victims and determine the full scale of the alleged fraud.
