CHENNAI: Cyber crime wing has warned people about an investment scam allegedly perpetrated through matrimonial websites, as 379 people in the state have complained of huge financial loss in 2024 and 2025.
According to police, fraudsters create fake profiles on matrimonial sites and target people seeking marriage proposals. After contacting the victims, they gain their trust through regular conversations and, once a close bond is established, they lure victims into scams such as introducing fake investment opportunities that promise high returns, requesting payments to clear customs charges for a supposed gift they are sending from abroad or asking for money for an ‘emergency’.
The victims are contacted mainly through WhatsApp voice calls and made to invest huge amounts in fake investment websites in the name of city index, Oxgatens etc that appear legitimate with fabricated success stories and false profit figures.
Victims are encouraged to invest small amounts initially and they even receive initial returns to build confidence. As victims invests more, withdrawals become impossible, and the fraudster disappears.
The cyber crime wing has issued an advisory to matrimonial sites, recommending the mandatory implementation of proper ID verification and the restriction of VPN users during registration to prevent fraudsters from creating fake profiles.
Further, the wing has blocked fake investment websites used by scammers in the matrimonial fraud which include www.oxgatens.com, www.oxgatens.net, www.cityindexmain.com, and www.cityindexlimited.com.