A Kerala woman was duped of 25 lakh by an NRI who posed as a prospective groom on a matrimonial site while introducing his wife as his sister. The accused, Anshad Mahsil from Irinjalakuda, created a fake identity under the name “Fahad” to gain the victim’s trust. After expressing serious interest in marriage, he convinced the woman that he was divorced and living abroad. His wife, Nitha Anshad, also played a role in the scam, meeting the victim’s family to finalize wedding arrangements. Under the pretext of a failed business and financial crisis, Anshad persuaded the victim to transfer money to his wife’s account, claiming he was unable to return to India.
The fraud unraveled when Anshad falsely claimed to be jailed in Dubai while secretly returning to India for a short visit. Suspicious of his inconsistencies, the victim conducted her own investigation and discovered that “Fahad” was actually Anshad, who was still married to Nitha and had two daughters. Shocked by the deception, she filed a police complaint in September last year. Authorities revealed that the accused specifically targeted women seeking remarriage on matrimonial platforms, exploiting their trust and financial resources.
With Anshad currently abroad, the police have initiated steps to bring him back for legal proceedings. Meanwhile, Nitha has been granted interim bail. The victim has urged authorities to take swift action to prevent others from falling prey to similar scams. Investigators are now looking into whether the couple defrauded more individuals using the same scheme.