• A software engineer was deceived through a matrimonial website and lost her money
• Her family provided large sums to the accused before uncovering the fraud

Indian media reported that a 29-year-old software engineer in Bengaluru was allegedly defrauded of ₹15.2 million (US$215,000) by a man she met on a matrimonial website, who claimed to be a wealthy businessman and promised marriage.

Police stated that the accused, Vijay Raj Gowda, also known as Vijeth B, carried out what is described as a "matrimonial-investment" scam with the help of his family, and a case of cheating, criminal conspiracy, and intimidation has been registered against him, his wife, and his father.

Reports said the victim, Navya Shree from Whitefield, met the accused in March 2024 via an online platform, where he claimed ownership of a company and assets including land, trucks, and properties in prime Bengaluru areas.

After promising marriage, the accused began borrowing small amounts starting with ₹15,000 (US$212), later persuading Shree to take loans and raise money from her friends in the name of joint business ventures.

Vijay later introduced his family, including a woman presented as his sister, and issued cheques as repayment guarantees, according to the police report. Based on these claims, Shree’s friends invested ₹6.6 million (US$93,000) and ₹2.3 million (US$32,000).

When the victim demanded repayment, the accused claimed his accounts were frozen due to court cases, using the same excuse to convince Shree’s parents to provide more money.

Between December 2024 and February 2025, Shree’s family provided around ₹4.35 million (US$61,000) from her father, mother, siblings, and her assets. It was later revealed that the woman presented as his sister was in fact the accused’s wife.

The fraud was uncovered when Shree visited the accused’s home to demand repayment and discovered he was married with a child.

Police said Vijay collected approximately ₹17.6 million (US$247,000) through multiple bank accounts, returning only ₹2.25 million (US$31,500), leaving about ₹15.3 million (US$215,000) unpaid.