Tinder swindler: Bengaluru woman scammed out of Rs 4.5 lakh by fake ‘boyfriend’

A 37-year-old woman, employed at a private firm in Bengaluru, has reportedly fallen victim to an online scam, losing an amount of Rs 4.5 lakh. The incident unfolded after she connected with a man named Advik Chopra on the popular dating application, Tinder, as stated by the police. Distressed by her financial loss, the woman has sought assistance from the Bengaluru city police to recover her hard-earned money.

The police investigation revealed that the victim had engaged in conversations with a person claiming to be a 'Mumbai-based' individual named Advik Chopra, whom she matched with on Tinder about a month ago. Unbeknownst to her, Chopra had crafted a false identity. Intrigued by his profile, the woman reciprocated the interest, leading to a connection.

Their subsequent communication took place on the messaging platform WhatsApp, during which Chopra deceitfully portrayed himself as a medical practitioner based in London, United Kingdom, as shared by an officer involved in the case.

The incident was reported to the Whitefield cyber crime police station on May 19, where the woman provided details of the scam. She revealed to the police that over the course of their conversations, Chopra gradually gained her trust, eventually leading her to develop romantic feelings for him. Chopra expressed his desire to meet in person, claiming that he would fly to Bengaluru via Dubai. Believing in his intentions and feeling excited about their potential encounter, the woman eagerly awaited his arrival, as stated in her complaint. However, her hopes were quickly shattered when she received a call on May 17 from an unidentified number, claiming to be an official from the Airports Authority of India.

The fraudulent caller, who was later revealed to be part of the scam, informed the woman that Chopra had landed at Delhi airport carrying a significant amount of undeclared cash. He insisted that an endorsement and a payment of Rs 68,500 were necessary for Chopra to continue his journey to Bengaluru.

Overwhelmed with concern for Chopra's well-being and convinced of his sincerity, the victim complied with the request and transferred the specified amount to the provided bank details, according to the police. Subsequently, she was coerced into making additional payments, including Rs 1.8 lakh as fees and an extra Rs 2.06 lakh as processing charges.

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The victim's trust in Chopra and her belief that he had travelled all the way from London to meet her led her to fulfil these demands, as revealed by the police. 

The scam took another twist when the woman was asked to pay Goods and Services Tax (GST) charges. The woman's suspicions began to arise when the fraudulent officer demanded an exorbitant sum of Rs 6 lakh as GST charges. Realising that something was amiss, she probed further, but the call abruptly ended, and all communication with Chopra ceased.

To her dismay, the woman discovered that Chopra's Tinder profile had been deleted, leaving her with no means to contact him. Her attempts to seek assistance from Tinder customer support proved fruitless, leaving her feeling helpless, as shared by an officer familiar with the case.

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