3 weeks ago
Man Loses Rs 1.46 Lakh in Grindr Cyber Dating Scam
A 23-year-old man in India used an app called Grindr to meet new people.
He started talking to someone who said he was a doctor from America named Harry Robot.
The man was very excited because Harry was kind and said he would come to visit him in Delhi.
But then Harry started asking for money, first for a plane ticket, then for a special money certificate, and then for customs fees.
The man sent all his savings, about Rs 1.46 lakh, to people Harry said were police officers.
He realized something was wrong when he looked up an airport picture Harry had sent and found it was from Delhi, not Mumbai.
He reported it to the police, and officers tracked down four people involved in the scam.
One of them was a woman from Nigeria who had pretended to be the doctor and also impersonated customs and immigration officials.
The police are still investigating to find other members of the gang.
A 23-year-old man from Bareilly, living in Delhi, lost his Rs 1.46 lakh life savings in a cyber dating scam that began on Grindr.
The scammer posed as 'Dr. Harry Robot,' a US doctor, moved the chat to WhatsApp, and claimed he was flying to India with gifts.
The victim paid repeatedly for a flight ticket, a 'Money Declaration Certificate,' and customs clearing fees for a parcel of US dollars and gold.
Delhi Police arrested four people across Delhi, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, including 22-year-old Nigerian national Simeon Miracle Chinonso.
Police say Chinonso impersonated immigration officials and customs officers to convince victims that valuable consignments awaited release.
- Who
- A 23-year-old queer sales professional from a village near Bareilly, living alone in Vasant Kunj, Delhi; the accused are Deepak Kumar, Konda Sagar, Azmeera Vinod Kumar, and Simeon Miracle Chinonso, a Nigerian woman living in Visakhapatnam.
- What
- He was cheated of Rs 1.46 lakh in a foreign-parcel scam run through Grindr by a person posing as US doctor 'Dr. Harry Robot.'
- Where
- It began in Delhi (Vasant Kunj); arrests were made in Delhi, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
- When
- In March; the initial message came on March 25 and the FIR was registered that same month.
- Why
- The syndicate invented expenses, such as a flight ticket, a Money Declaration Certificate, and customs clearing fees, to extract money from victims who believed a valuable foreign consignment was awaiting release.
Key facts
- Victim
- 23-year-old queer sales professional from a village near Bareilly, renting in Vasant Kunj, Delhi
- Amount lost
- Rs 1.46 lakh (life savings)
- Platform
- Grindr dating app; chats then moved to WhatsApp
- Fake identity
- Dr. Harry Robot, a supposed US doctor
- Scam began
- March 25; FIR registered in March at the Cyber Police Station, Southwest Delhi
- People arrested
- 4 people: Deepak Kumar, Konda Sagar, Azmeera Vinod Kumar, and Simeon Miracle Chinonso
- Key accused
- Simeon Miracle Chinonso, 22, Nigerian national on a student visa, living in Visakhapatnam
- Scam method
- Fake flight ticket, Money Declaration Certificate, and customs clearing fees for a parcel of US dollars and gold
Quotes
Police officer involved in the case
Delhi Police officer describing the syndicate
“He said he was paid Rs 25,000 for a ticket, then Rs 75,000 for a Money Declaration Certificate, and later Rs 1 lakh to clear customs.”
indianexpress.com
“Another person from Nigeria put her in touch with an Indian woman in Delhi, who trained foreigners in the art of scamming Indians.”
indianexpress.com
DCP (Southwest) Amit Goel
Delhi Police officer leading the investigation
“Deepak, Konda Sagar and Azmeera arranged mule bank accounts through which the cheated money was routed in exchange for commission.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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