Cyber fraudster dupes Hyderabad software engineer of ₹64 lakh via WhatsApp romance scam
Hyderabad: A 31-year-old woman software engineer from LB Nagar’s Rock Town Colony was duped of ₹64 lakh over five months. The fraudster posed as a doctor on a matrimonial website and built trust through WhatsApp and Telegram communication.
Cybercriminal posed as doctor, spun elaborate lies
According to the FIR registered at Rachakonda Cyber Crime Police Station, the victim had registered on a caste-based matrimonial portal in search of a match. Soon after, a man identifying himself as “Dr. Bharat Bhushan Reddy” contacted her using the number listed on the site. He began regular conversations via WhatsApp.
The fraudster claimed to be a cardiologist and started asking for money under various pretexts. First, he said he lost his wallet and needed ₹1 lakh urgently. Later, he claimed his bank account was frozen and requested another ₹1 lakh, promising to repay soon.
False claims of tea estate losses and frozen bank accounts
He later spun a detailed story about running a tea estate in Assam that suffered damage due to floods. He then demanded ₹40 lakh for repairs. To gain her trust, he claimed to have ₹8 crore in his account, earned from his medical career. However, it was hidden from his family.
After convincing her with fake promises of repayment, he extracted more money citing a frozen bank account, tax payments, and an alleged accident that landed him in the ICU. When pressed, he even promised marriage and said he was planning to build a hospital in Jubilee Hills.
Engineer files complaint after realising the fraud
The victim, who had handed over her life savings, finally approached the Rachakonda Cyber Crime Police. She realized she had been scammed. She stated in her complaint that the accused only communicated via WhatsApp and Telegram and never met in person.
Based on her complaint, police registered a case. They began investigation into the romance-based cyber fraud, which left the engineer financially devastated.