Man poses as Google employee, dupes woman of Rs 27 lakh after befriending her on matrimony site

Mumbai, May 8 (PTI) The Mumbai police have filed a case against a man after he duped a woman to the tune of Rs 27.4 lakh by posing as a Google employee after befriending her through a matrimonial site, an official said on Thursday.

The accused was identified as Nikhil Deepak Dalvi, the official of Parksite police station said.

"Dalvi came in contact with the woman through a private matrimonial site two years ago and over the time both of them grew close to each other through regular chats and calls. He lured the 28-year-old complainant into a relationship by claiming to be a Google employee based in Ghatkopar with an annual package of Rs 1 crore," he said.

The accused asked the woman for financial help, citing urgent expenses related to road widening near his village home. He claimed his bank account had been frozen due to an online fraud. To gain her trust, he shared a screenshot showing a balance of over Rs 78 lakh in his account, along with a purported Google employee ID, the police official said.

Believing in his claims, the victim initially transferred Rs 70,000 to him account. Over the next few months, she sent money to him through 21 online transactions. He even visited her parents in Pune to discuss marriage proposals, further cementing her trust.

However, she grew suspicious in January this year after receiving a call from another woman from Navi Mumbai, who told her about similar experiences with him. She told her that she had met Dalvi through the same matrimonial website and had provided him with financial help after he proposed to marry her, he said.

After she realised that she had been conned, the woman approached the police and lodged a complaint. After preliminary verification, an FIR was registered against Dalvi for cheating and criminal breach of trust.

Police suspect that Dalvi had duped several women using the same modus operandi.

The Navi Mumbai police have arrested him in a similar case and a local court has sent him in judicial custody. The Mumbai police are preparing to take his custody for interrogation, the official added. PTI ZA NP