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Police in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district have arrested a 24-year-old man accused of operating a fake matrimonial call centre that used AI-generated photographs of women to attract prospective grooms on Facebook and Instagram.
Investigators allege that the operation collected payments through QR codes and cut contact with men after receiving their money. Police seized cash and equipment valued at ₹2.83 lakh.
How Were Prospective Grooms Targeted?
The accused, identified as Parmanand Yadav, allegedly ran the operation for about three months under the names Kalyan Matrimony, Elite Match Matrimony and Future Partner.
Advertisements carrying AI-generated images and contact numbers appeared on social media. Men interested in marriage called the numbers and submitted their biodata. Staff then promised to help arrange a match with a woman shown in the advertisements, although police said the photographs depicted women who did not exist.
How Were Payments Collected?
Callers were sent QR codes linked to bank accounts described as belonging to marriage counsellors. They were initially asked to pay ₹2,000 and allegedly faced further demands under different headings.
Once payments were received, the operators allegedly blocked the callers’ numbers and stopped communicating with them. Police said the centre handled around 20 to 50 calls daily. Complaints involving several associated bank accounts had already been recorded on the government’s Samanvaya cybercrime coordination portal.
Where Was the Call Centre Found?
Acting on a tip-off on October 29, police raided a hall at Uttar Gangotri Bhawan, near a Union Bank branch in Supela, Bhilai. The premises were allegedly operating under the name Elite Match Matrimony.
Four young women were found working there. Police said they had been recruited with promises of salaries of ₹7,000 a month, received two days of training and were assigned to speak to prospective customers and collect payments. Their knowledge of the alleged fraud was not established in the available account.
What Did Investigators Recover?
Police reported recovering ₹1.64 lakh in cash, 22 keypad phones, four Android phones and 16 SIM cards. A computer, Wi-Fi device, cheque books, bank passbook, promotional banners, QR codes and registers containing customer telephone numbers and payment details were also seized.
Investigators are examining these records and the bank accounts allegedly used by the network. The total number of victims and the amount they lost have not been disclosed.
What Legal Action Has Been Taken?
Yadav was booked at Supela police station under Sections 317(2) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to dishonestly receiving stolen property and cheating by personation. He was produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
How Can Matrimonial Users Stay Safe?
People considering a matrimonial service should verify its identity and the profiles it advertises before making any payment. A video call or an in-person meeting can help check whether a prospective match is genuine. Reverse image searches may also reveal misleading photographs.
Users should be cautious of QR codes directing fees to personal accounts and should never share OTPs or banking credentials. Suspected cyber fraud can be reported to helpline 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
