Matrimonial scams in India are on the rise, with fraudsters creating fake profiles on matrimony websites to extract money from prospective brides, grooms, and their families. The police recorded 16 matrimony scam cases in 2021 alone, but officials believe the true number is far higher as many victims do not report out of embarrassment.
What Are Matrimonial Scams?
Matrimonial scams occur when criminals create false identities on matrimony platforms, build trust with a potential match and their family, then fabricate emergencies to extract money. These scams exploit the emotional vulnerability of people seeking life partners. They share characteristics with online romance scams but specifically target marriage-seeking users on platforms like Shaadi.com, Jeevansathi, and Matrimony.com.
How Do Matrimonial Scams Work in India?
Step 1: Fake Profile Creation
Fraudsters create convincing profiles on matrimony websites, often using stolen photos and claiming prestigious professions — typically doctors, engineers, NRIs, or military officers. They sometimes use voice-changing apps to impersonate the groom’s parents during calls.
Step 2: Building Trust
Over weeks or months, they build genuine-seeming rapport via email, chat, and phone. They ask about family background and assets, and express strong emotional attachment and urgency about marriage.
Step 3: The Emergency Story
Once trust is established, they fabricate an emergency: gifts or forex confiscated at the airport, a family member in the ICU, or urgent travel costs to visit the victim. They promise immediate repayment after the money is transferred.
Step 4: The Vanishing Act
As soon as the transfer is made, the fraudster disappears. The cycle then repeats with a new victim.
What Are the Warning Signs of a Matrimonial Scam?
- Reluctance to video call or meet in person — Scammers avoid any form of real-time visual interaction that could expose them
- Profession claims as NRI, military, or doctor — These are the most commonly faked profiles because they are difficult to verify
- Declarations of love very quickly — Excessive emotional investment unusually fast in the relationship
- Questions about property, income, and assets early on
- Any request for money transfer, regardless of reason
- Urgency about early marriage without meeting in person
How to Protect Yourself from Matrimonial Fraud?
- Conduct a thorough background check — Verify the person’s address, employer, education, and family details through independent channels before proceeding.
- Use only verified profiles — Many matrimony platforms offer professionally verified profiles. Prioritise these.
- Never transfer money — A genuine prospective partner will never ask for a money transfer before meeting you. This is always a scam.
- Meet in a safe, public location — Always arrange the first in-person meeting in a well-lit public place with family or friends informed of your whereabouts.
- Reverse image search profile photos — Scammers use stolen photographs. A reverse image search can reveal whether the photo appears elsewhere online.
How to Report Matrimonial Fraud in India?
- File a complaint online at cybercrime.gov.in under Women/Children-Related Crime if applicable
- Call the National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930
- Lodge an FIR at your nearest cyber crime police station
If you have been a victim of a matrimonial scam, contact cyber expert Anuraag Singh for confidential legal advice and complaint assistance.
