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Dating apps fraud: One arrested from Bengal for defrauding a 75-year-old colonel of Rs 21 lakh | Chandigarh News
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The Chandigarh police cyber cell has arrested a 35-year-old from Baranagar, West Bengal, for allegedly defrauding a 75-year-old retired Indian Army colonel of Rs 21 lakh through promises made on online dating mobile applications.
The accused, identified as Dattatreya Kundu, a resident of Kolkata, exploited specific apps to generate voices of women to engage with the retired army officer residing in Sector 48, according to the police.
The police report said that at least two associates of Kundu are currently evading capture, while he remains in custody. Among the items discovered in his possession were a cell phone and two ATM cards that were used to withdraw funds from the account of the retired army officer.
According to the police, the retired army officer, who was using various online dating apps, received a voice call from an unknown number. The caller introduced herself as Tannu and inquired if he wished to establish a friendly relationship with a girl in Chandigarh. The complainant expressed an interest in girls aged between 25 to 30 years. Tannu provided him with a Google Pay number under the name KB Telecom and requested Rs 2,000 for registration.
Subsequently, she sent photos of several girls, and the complainant selected one to initiate chats with. One of the girls then asked for Rs 10,200 in the name of a Gold card, providing another Google Pay account number for the payment, in which the complainant transferred the money.
Following this, another girl’s mobile number was provided, and both girls began chatting with the complainant on WhatsApp, extracting Rs 118,000 for various services, though no actual meetings were arranged.
Police sources said in a subsequent call, another girl claimed that Tannu had referred the complainant and revealed that Tannu’s account had been terminated as she has passed away. She promised to refund the entire amount but insisted that the complainant needed to follow certain refund policies and deposit additional money.
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“She provided a bank account number and mobile number for the transfer. As a result, the retired officer repeatedly transferred money to various accounts and incurred a loss of Rs 21 lakh. Along with filing a complaint, he submitted details of the transactions, mobile numbers used for calls, and other related information,” one of the sources added.
A police officer said during the course of the investigation, a raid was conducted in Baranagar, leading to the arrest of Kundu based on technical findings. “He is now in police custody, and efforts are underway to apprehend his co-accused.
It was uncovered that they create online dating applications for the general public, reaching out to users of these applications. Users are prompted to make payments for registrations, gold cards, and more, with funds received through Google Pay and other payment methods,” the officer added.
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