Pune: A 25-year-old IT engineer from Pune, Maharashtra, has allegedly been cheated of ₹4.35 lakh in a cyber fraud after being lured into a fake marriage proposal through a matrimonial website. According to police, the accused initially introduced himself as an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer and later claimed to be a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer posted in Moscow, Russia. After gaining the woman’s confidence over several months, he allegedly persuaded her to transfer money by citing medical emergencies, financial hardship, and family opposition to their marriage.
According to the complaint filed at Chandan Nagar Police Station, the woman received a connection request on a popular matrimonial website on February 12, 2026, from a person identifying himself as Vinit Kumar. The man claimed he liked her profile and said he was serving as an Indian Foreign Service officer in Russia. As conversations progressed, he also claimed to be a RAW operative stationed in Moscow.
Police said the suspect maintained regular contact with the victim through WhatsApp. He allegedly shared what he described as his biodata and photographs, spoke with the woman’s mother and brother over the phone, and attempted to build trust with the family. He also added the victim’s mother to a WhatsApp group named “News 365 Network” and introduced another woman on WhatsApp as his mother. Based on these interactions, the victim’s family reportedly agreed to the proposed marriage.
According to investigators, on March 18, 2026, the accused told the woman that he was suffering from severe chest pain and had not received his salary. He further claimed that his family opposed their marriage and had stopped providing him with financial support. He also alleged that he had undergone an appendicitis surgery and urgently needed money for medical treatment and related expenses.
The complaint states that the accused continued to seek money under different pretexts over the following weeks. Believing his claims, the woman transferred a total of ₹4,35,200 through 16 online transactions into multiple bank accounts between March 19 and May 28, 2026. Police are now examining those accounts and tracing the flow of funds.
The alleged fraud came to light when the woman later received a message from another individual claiming to be Vinit Kumar’s brother. The person told her that Vinit had died by suicide and assured her that all the money would be returned. However, when she later demanded a refund, he allegedly began sending abusive messages and threatened to circulate her obscene images on social media.
Realising she had been deceived, the woman contacted India’s 1930 National Cyber Crime Helpline on June 23 and also lodged a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. She subsequently approached the Pune Cyber Police Station. After verifying the complaint, police registered an FIR on July 21 against unidentified persons under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.
Investigators are now analysing the mobile phone numbers, bank accounts, digital payment records, and WhatsApp communications allegedly used by the fraudsters. Police are also examining whether the same network targeted other victims through matrimonial websites using a similar modus operandi.
Cybersecurity experts advise users not to rely solely on online claims made by strangers on matrimonial platforms or social media. Anyone claiming to be a government official, military officer, intelligence operative, or overseas diplomat who later requests money for medical emergencies, travel, or family crises should be treated with caution. They recommend independently verifying the person’s identity before transferring any funds and immediately reporting suspected cyber fraud to the authorities to improve the chances of recovering money and identifying those responsible.
