Fake US doctor dupes Bengaluru youth of Rs 30 lakh in online romance fraud

Bengaluru: A friendship on a dating app turned sour for a 26-year-old man, who lost nearly Rs 30 lakh to crooks posing as an American doctor and airport officials.The Bengaluru resident said he came in contact with a man who identified himself as Dr John Martine through the dating application Grindr on July 21 last year. Soon, the duo exchanged mobile numbers and started messaging regularly.Claiming to be a doctor from the US, the accused gradually gained the complainant’s trust through regular conversations. The fraud took a dramatic turn when the accused informed the youth that he was travelling to India to meet him, and shared what appeared to be a flight ticket. The accused was scheduled to arrive at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Aug 10, 2025.The following day, the complainant received a message from the fake doctor stating he had landed at the airport and was detained by customs officials for carrying $240,000 in cash. He claimed he needed Indian currency to pay the customs charges.Soon after, a woman claiming to be an airport official contacted the youth and demanded money for customs clearance, currency conversion, anti-money laundering verification, insurance charges, and security deposits. The “doctor” also spoke to the complainant multiple times and requested help by promising to return the money when he met him.Believing the story to be genuine and hoping to help his online friend, the Bengaluru youth allegedly transferred money in multiple transactions to several bank accounts provided by the fraudsters, including one belonging to a person identified as Vivek Kumar, till Sept last year. In all, the youth transferred Rs 29.8 lakh before he realised he had fallen victim to an elaborate scam. He refused to make more payments, but the fraudsters kept emotionally blackmailing him, claiming that “Dr Martine” would not be released unless all the charges were paid.The victim then contacted the national cybercrime helpline (1930) and lodged an online complaint. On June 1 this year, he lodged a complaint with South cybercrime police. A case has been registered under the Information Technology Act and Sections 318 (cheating) and 319 (cheating by personation) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.