Hooked on a match, reeled in by a scam, Ahmedabad pharma exec loses Rs 56 lakh

Ahmedabad: Dating apps are emerging as new hunting grounds for cybercriminals to hook victims. In such a case reported to cops on Saturday, a 40-year-old man was duped out of Rs 56.35 lakh by a woman on a dating platform.As per the complaint, the pharma executive, who had been on a dating app for several years, came in contact with a woman in Nov 2025. After initial conversations on the app, the woman allegedly persuaded him to shift to Telegram, where the two began interacting regularly.During their chats and calls, the woman allegedly claimed she was traded in currency, and shared screenshots that showed substantial daily profits. After convincing the man that investing in the forex market was far more lucrative than stock trading, she sent him a link to a ‘trading website' and guided him through the registration process. Here, he allegedly had to create an account by entering personal details. He was then directed to contact a "customer support" handle on Telegram for account verification and transaction assistance.The complainant initially transferred Rs 40,000 via UPI to a bank account provided by the fraudsters. His trading account reflected a profit, and he was even able to withdraw a small amount. Encouraged, he ‘invested' larger sums over the next two months through multiple RTGS and UPI transactions into different bank accounts shared by the accused. The trading app displayed inflated returns, eventually showing a balance exceeding $1.5 lakh, equivalent to over Rs 1.2 crore.When he attempted to withdraw the full amount, the fraudsters allegedly demanded additional payments as "taxes" and "security deposits". The withdrawals were repeatedly delayed despite these payments, he told police. What raised his suspicion was the demand for a larger amount as "security fee". A discussion with a friend confirmed his fears of swindling. He contacted the cybercrime helpline and later lodged a formal complaint. Cybercrime police registered a case of cheating and breach of trust under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.