45-year-old doctor loses ₹22.25 lakh in matrimonial app fraud

A 45-year-old medical practitioner has reportedly lost ₹22.25 lakh in an alleged matrimonial app fraud after being duped by a conman posing as a Germany-based ophthalmologist on the app.

According to the complaint filed with the East Division Cyber Crime Police on Friday, the victim downloaded the app on December 20, 2025, and received a response from a profile that identified itself as Dr. Ganesh Barman, who claimed to be an ophthalmologist working in Berlin, Germany. The accused allegedly stated that he was divorced, living with his seven-year-old daughter who was studying in a boarding school, and were planning to relocate to India by February 2026 to establish a hospital in Delhi.

The communication initially began through the app and later shifted to WhatsApp calls and messages from an international number. The accused reportedly told the victim that he had sent agents to handle the groundwork for the hospital project he had initiated in India.

The complainant alleged that the accused later claimed his international bank account had become non-functional and sought her assistance in transferring funds to his “agents” in India. Between January 9 and January 24, 2026, she transferred money from her Axis Bank account to multiple bank accounts provided by the accused. She also sought financial assistance from her brother-in-law, who transferred funds through RTGS/NEFT from his Kotak Mahindra Bank account.

The total amount transferred through UPI and bank transactions to various accounts was stated to be ₹22,25,070.

After realising that she had been cheated, the victim contacted the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 and stopped all communication with the accused. A complaint has been registered, and further investigation is under way to trace the fraudsters and the beneficiary accounts involved.