Beware of fake matrimonial sites

Matrimonial portals have become one of the most money-spinning ventures for new generation con artists to hoodwink people.

On an average, the most popular portals see about 15,000 new registrations daily with 10 per cent of these culminating in nuptials. The business also generates high-margin profits with industry experts estimating it to be around 60%

The term con artist is an acronym for confidence artist, who wins over your trust, with an aim to deceive you. He can be convincing and captivating in his approach. Con artists are creative. With the renewal of technology, they come up with innovative scams.

Matrimonial portals have become one of the most money-spinning ventures for new generation con artists to hoodwink people. Cyber crime cops explain that majority of youngsters are falling prey to the flattery of con artists and end up losing a lot of money. Recently Mohammad Sadiq of Old City was arrested for duping more than 100 people. He posed as a rich businessman and would approach affluent Muslim families with marriage proposals after scanning matrimonial columns of Urdu newspapers. He would then decamp with their mobile phones. Similarly last year, a BTech graduate B Ravi Kishore, duped 54 women by posing as an IIT graduate with a Masters degree from the University of California. In April this year, CID sleuths arrested two people for allegedly cheating a person to the tune of Rs 40 lakh by promising huge foreign funds for construction of a church. In the last couple of years, Cybercrime sleuths recorded two cases where con artists successfully used matrimonial sites and advertisements to dupe people. “Though there are a number of fraud cases, only a few victims approach and inform the police as they fear media attention might dampen their chances of finding a suitable partner,” said a CID official.

The online matrimony market is valued at Rs 510 crore and is growing at around 30% annually, according to the data provided by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). Experts cite that as traditional family set of contacts become limited and young professionals migrate to cities, online matrimonial portals will become a prime source for matchmaking. On an average, the most popular portals see about 15,000 new registrations daily with 10 per cent of these culminating in nuptials.

The business also generates high-margin profits with industry experts estimating it to be around 60%. “We advise people to take at least six to nine months before they decide to tie the knot with someone they meet online and develop a relationship,” says a founder of one of the popular matrimonial sites. As there are many educated youngsters registered on these matrimonial sites, CID sleuths have suggested some tips to stay away from con artists:

• For choosing a partner from the matrimonial site, it is important to find out whether the site is registered or not

• Always verify the profile details of the individual before contacting them

• There are a few reputed detective agencies who offer pre-marital check for a small fee. It is important for a person to specifically instruct the agent to collect information on the concerned person’s family history. It is also important to hire a police approved private detective.

• Beware of some members lying about their past life, marital status, age, height, personality, health, social and economic status. Members could be criminals, HIV infected, bankrupt, etc

• If the person is an NRI, it is important to check the criminal records and health conditions