Bengaluru, DHNS: Bengaluru police have arrested a Nigerian national from Maharashtra for carrying out matrimonial scams.
Edene Thomas Akpa, 30, a resident of Bhayandar, near Mumbai, allegedly posed as a woman on matrimonial websites, lured unsuspecting men on the pretext of marriage and coerced them into sending money.
One such case was registered at Bengaluru's East Cyber, Economic and Narcotics (CEN) crime police station on June 8, 2024.
The complainant, a 38-year-old techie, had told the police that he met a woman named Pooja Devi through Jeevansathi.com. Unbeknown to him, it was Akpa posing as Devi.
The scam occurred between December 29, 2023, and March 3, 2024. Akpa, after initiating contact on the website, started chatting with the victim on WhatsApp. He managed to convince the victim that he would marry him and made him send around Rs 8.5 lakh through multiple transactions.
"He then withdrew the money from ATMs and ceased contact with the victim," a police close to the investigation told DH.
After registering the case, police inspector Umesh Kumar and his team began the probe. Using technical aid, they zeroed in on Akpa and found he was in Bhayandar.
On Thursday, a team picked up Akpa from Mumbai and brought him to Bengaluru after obtaining a transit warrant from a local court. Officials have recovered a mobile phone and several ATM cards from his possession.
"Akpa came to Maharashtra nearly three years ago on a business visa, which is still valid," a cybercrime investigator told DH. "He has married an Indian woman, making his visa permanent. The bank accounts handled by him have popped up in at least five cybercrime cases. Technical analysis is also being done on the bank accounts to trace the money trail."
Another officer said conmen, especially from African nations, would marry Indian women, mostly from northern states, making them eligible for Indian citizenship.
Published 22 August 2024, 22:35 IST