A woman from Chandigarh has allegedly lost ₹723,000 in an international cyber fraud after being lured into an online romance scam in which the suspect allegedly posed as a UK-based doctor and later used a fake airport customs clearance story to obtain multiple payments. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the financial transactions and digital evidence.
According to police, the complainant, a resident of Sector 23 who works for a private company, stated that she received a friend request on Snapchat in May 2026 from an account identified as “Divekar Pathak.” After several conversations, the communication shifted to WhatsApp, where the individual allegedly claimed to be a doctor originally from Pune who had been living in the United Kingdom for many years.
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The complainant alleged that the suspect gradually gained her trust by expressing romantic interest and promising marriage. Investigators said the suspect reportedly sent images of what were claimed to be a British passport, a flight ticket from London to Mumbai and other documents to make the story appear genuine. He allegedly informed her that he would travel from London’s Heathrow Airport on June 23 and arrive in Mumbai the following day.
According to the complaint, the following day the woman received a phone call from another individual claiming to be an airport customs officer. The caller allegedly stated that the doctor was carrying a large amount of foreign currency and travellers’ cheques and that ₹67,500 had to be deposited for customs clearance. Believing the claim to be genuine, the complainant transferred the money.
Police said the demands did not stop there. The victim allegedly received repeated calls seeking additional payments on various pretexts, including currency certification, tax, conversion charges, customs clearance fees and other purported government formalities. Investigators said she ultimately transferred approximately ₹723,000 into four different bank accounts.
The complainant told police that she became suspicious only after the fraudsters allegedly demanded another ₹200,000, claiming that failure to pay would result in the doctor’s deportation. When she attempted to contact the purported doctor, his phone was switched off and she discovered that she had been blocked on WhatsApp, leading her to realise she had allegedly been defrauded.
Police said the investigation has identified bank accounts allegedly operated in the names of Sami Saeed Khan, Dharamjeet Gowala, Kang Joel and Krishna Pal, into which the money was transferred. Investigators are examining the beneficiaries of these accounts, banking records, mobile numbers, digital communications and other electronic evidence to trace the alleged fraud network.
Renowned cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said romance scams commonly rely on social engineering and “love bombing” techniques to gain victims’ trust before introducing fabricated financial emergencies. He advised the public never to transfer money to individuals met exclusively online and to independently verify any claims involving customs authorities, overseas travel or emergency payments through official channels.
The investigation is continuing. Any determination of criminal liability will depend on the evidence presented before the competent court during the judicial process.
