Vadodara Youth’s Unsettling Marriage Proposal on Insta Leads to Extortion of Lakhs
The Instagram Trap
A young man in Vadodara fell victim to a cyber thug who, by sending a friend request on Instagram, lured him into the temptation of marriage, extorting a staggering 2.83 lakh rupees. Despite the initial transaction, the youth continued to be manipulated, coerced into making additional demands exceeding 50,000 rupees. Distraught, he filed a complaint at the Vadodara Cyber Crime Police Station.
Unknown Friend Requests
Another complaint lodged at the Vadodara Cyber Crime Police Station revealed that a young individual received a friend request from an unknown Instagram ID, priya914019, on September 16. After accepting the request, conversations ensued. During these interactions, the youth was informed that the person behind the profile was Priya Rameshbhai Patel, claiming to be the niece of his maternal cousin Aniket Soni.
Proposal of Marriage
As the conversations deepened over Instagram, the youth proposed marriage. Following this, on September 19, Priya proposed a physical meeting to discuss their impending marriage. A face-to-face meeting was planned, and further discussions about marriage were scheduled.
Initiating the Money Scam
On September 20, at around 2:00 AM, Priya messaged the victim on Instagram, requesting a transfer of funds for her friend’s wife’s delivery, citing issues with her Google Pay. Subsequently, the victim transferred one thousand rupees. Priya continued to claim urgent needs for money, fabricating different reasons each time.
Various Excuses to Ask for Money
Afterwards, on the same day, Priya informed me that her parents are coming to Mumbai to see a groom for her, and if her parents approve of the groom she chooses, they will forcefully arrange my marriage within two to three days. After that, in the afternoon of the same day, Priya called me on my Instagram ID from her Instagram ID and told me that when I go to Mumbai with my parents and leave the railway station, she will approach me, pretending to be running away, and ask me for money. So, I transferred 2,000 rupees.
Using Parents’ Disappearance as an Excuse
After about a week, I received a message on her Instagram, stating that her parents had gone missing, and her complaint had been filed by her relatives at every police station with her photos. Therefore, she cannot leave Mumbai at the moment, and currently, she does not have money with her. She asked me for money, stating that she would return it once her parents were found. So, I gave her all the money.
Creating a Fake ID
Priya created a new Instagram ID to talk to me. She used my email ID, snikuj352@gmail.com, and created a fake Instagram ID named nikpihu796. After that, we started talking on the Instagram ID with the name nikpihu796, and the conversation continued on this ID.
Transferring Money Through Friends
Priya, using various excuses, convinced me that she needed money. She provided me with different QR codes on different dates, mentioning that these were unique codes for specific transactions. I conducted separate transactions using different payment methods. I received the money from my friends and also transferred money from my uncle’s and friend’s accounts.
Threatening to File a Complaint
On October 24th, Aniket Soni called me on my mobile and informed me that Priya has offered something to me and her parents are calling me. Her father has filed a complaint against me at the Goregaon police station. He threatened me that if I did not inform him, he could set everything right at the police station since I knew very well about the police station, and whatever complaint was filed against her, he would settle it all.
