Bengaluru man booked for cheating Gujarat professor of Rs 13.4 lakh

A Bengaluru man has been booked by the Gandhinagar Cyber Crime Cell for allegedly defrauding a 36-year-old university assistant professor of Rs 13.4 lakh. The accused reportedly gained the woman's trust after befriending her on a matrimonial website, eventually accessing her bank accounts and siphoning off the funds while she was recovering from surgery at a private hospital.

According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered in the case, the victim and the accused first established contact through a matrimonial platform about a year ago. Although they lost touch after a few initial conversations, the accused reconnected with her over WhatsApp in May. Over the following weeks, he gradually won her confidence and established a closer relationship.

The two later went on a trip together to Nathdwara in Rajasthan. Following the trip, the assistant professor fell ill and had to undergo bariatric surgery at a private hospital in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

During this period, investigators stated that the accused managed to learn the victim's mobile phone and net banking passwords. Prior to her surgery, he assisted her in creating a fixed deposit of Rs 18.15 lakh.

While the victim was recovering from her surgery, the accused allegedly used her mobile phone without her consent to prematurely break the newly created fixed deposit. Police stated that he paid approximately Rs 6 lakh towards her hospital bills to maintain her trust, but then proceeded to transfer Rs 12 lakh from her account to his own personal account across four separate transactions.

In addition to the bank transfers, the accused also allegedly executed unauthorised credit card transactions amounting to Rs 87,402 using the victim's card.

The financial fraud came to light only when the assistant professor checked her bank statements after her recovery. Upon discovering the missing funds and unauthorised transactions, she reported the matter through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Following her online complaint, the Gandhinagar Cyber Crime Cell officially registered a case against the accused.