Senior Woman Defrauded in Elaborate Marriage Scam

A 73-year-old resident of Thane district, Maharashtra, has fallen victim to a duplicitous matrimonial scam, resulting in losses of over Rs 57 lakh. The suspect, a 62-year-old man, contacted her through a matrimonial ad and built her trust.

Having assured her of marriage and a future together in Pune, he persuaded her to transfer Rs 35 lakh, promising to purchase a house, and provided fabricated receipts and property documents, police said.

The fraudster also allegedly stole gold ornaments worth Rs 20 lakh and accessed the woman's debit card to withdraw Rs 2.4 lakh. An FIR has been lodged, and authorities are actively searching for the missing suspect, police confirmed.

(With inputs from agencies.)