The scam began on the dating app Happn, where the victim was contacted by a woman who called herself 'Chandhini Chowdary'.

Hyderabad: A 41-year-old man from Begumpet, Hyderabad, was scammed out of Rs. 13.3 lakh in an investment fraud. The scam began on the dating app Happn, where the victim was contacted by a woman who called herself ‘Chandhini Chowdary’. She later moved their conversation to WhatsApp.

The woman, who claimed to be a trading analyst advisor for Optinex Markets, convinced the victim to register on and invest in a fraudulent trading platform.

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After an initial investment of Rs. 50,000, the victim was able to withdraw a small profit, which gave him confidence in the platform. The woman then gradually convinced him to invest more, and he ultimately deposited ₹8 lakh. The platform displayed fake profits to appear legitimate.

When the victim attempted to withdraw funds, his account was frozen and he was asked to pay additional money to unfreeze it. Under pressure, the victim transferred an additional Rs.5.31 lakh, followed by another Rs.4.55 lakh after being told the amount required for “taxes” to release his money. In total, he lost Rs 13,31,000 to the scammers.

The victim filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime wing of the Hyderabad police and they are currently investigating the matter.

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Police caution investors that they should always verify the credentials of any trading platform before making financial commitments, particularly when the recommendation comes from someone they met on a dating or social app.