KOCHI: Cambodian cyber fraud gangs are now increasingly using matrimonial websites to lure victims in India into fake investment schemes.
In the last six months alone, the Kochi City police cyber wing identified and removed more than 1,000 fake profiles created across matrimonial platforms allegedly to target people in Kerala and other states.
The probe gained momentum after a city-based doctor lost around Rs 37 lakh last year to swindlers who handled the account of a fictional NRI woman on a matrimonial platform. Officers said the scale of the fake-profile network indicates several people could have fallen victim to similar scams.
“These gangs create fake profiles on matrimonial platforms. Once they gain the trust of victims, conversations are shifted to WhatsApp, Telegram and other applications. After building emotional trust, victims are persuaded to invest in trading platforms in the name of securing their future,” a senior officer said.
The team first cracked the network in February with the arrest of three persons — Suraj Krishna, 22, Adil K P, 22, and Mohammed Faisal, 25 — who allegedly cheated the doctor using fake matrimonial accounts. Further probe exposed links to cyber fraud syndicates operating from Cambodia.
On Saturday, police arrested Abdul Rahman, 24, one of the alleged masterminds, after he landed at Delhi airport. He was produced before the Ernakulam district court and remanded on Monday.
Officers said Abdul had been working with Cambodia-based gangs since 2022 and later became part of the network targeting Indians.
Police said the money collected was routed through mule bank accounts across India before being converted into cryptocurrency and transferred through multiple channels.