Navi Mumbai Man Loses Rs 73.72 Lakh in Dating App Gold Scam

Thane: A 62-year-old man from Navi Mumbai’s New Panvel area was allegedly defrauded of Rs 73.72 lakh in a gold trading scam orchestrated by a woman he met on a dating app, police reported on Monday. The scam unfolded between March and May 2024, with the victim lured into investing in a fraudulent gold trading scheme.

According to an official from Khandeshwar police station, the woman, who introduced herself as Zia, connected with the man through the dating app and later continued their communication via WhatsApp. She persuaded him to invest in a gold trading venture, promising substantial returns. The woman instructed the victim to use a specific trading application, through which he transferred Rs 73.72 lakh over three months.

The victim received no returns on his investment, and the woman became unreachable, prompting him to report the fraud to the authorities. The Khandeshwar police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. An investigation is underway, with efforts to trace the woman’s digital footprints ongoing, the official added.

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This incident follows a similar case, where a 63-year-old man from Salt Lake, West Bengal, lost Rs 66.6 lakh in an online investment scam after meeting a woman on a dating app. Authorities continue to urge caution when engaging with unfamiliar individuals online, particularly in financial transactions.