Ahmedabad: In a surprising case, an IT professional working in a firm that provides IT and cyber security services fell victim to a cyber fraud via a dating app and was duped of Rs 31 lakh. The victim, working in Gandhinagar, who was seeking companionship and extra income, connected with a woman identifying herself as an investor named Sherin from Bengaluru in April 2024.

As per the FIR filed with Gandhinagar Range Cybercrime Police, Sherin encouraged the man to earn through online trading and shared a link to a trading website along with an app. She initially convinced him to invest 2,900 USDT (approx. Rs 2.45 lakh) in a Bybit wallet. Over the next two months, from April to June, she allegedly persuaded him to transfer Rs 28.59 lakh more into various bank accounts shared over Telegram, bringing the total to Rs 31.04 lakh. The fraud came to light when the man was unable to withdraw his funds.

Investigators say the scam reflects a growing trend where fraudsters exploit dating platforms to build trust and carry out investment scams. Police are now tracing digital trails and bank accounts to identify those involved. DeshGujarat