Ernakulam Resident Loses ₹6 Crore to Fake Matrimonial Site Scam; Cambodia Based Chinese Cyber Racket Behind Fraud

Kochi: A woman from Ernakulam has lost ₹6 crore after falling victim to a fraudulent matrimonial website, with the Kochi City Cyber Crime Police registering a case and launching an investigation. Investigators have traced the fraud to a Chinese cyber crime racket operating out of Cambodia.

The victim, who had married an Egyptian national and lived abroad, returned to Kerala after her husband's death. Having inherited her late husband's assets, she registered on a matrimonial website in search of a second marriage — only to land on a fake platform operated by scammers.

Once she registered, a fraudster cultivated a close relationship with her and subsequently extracted money from her on multiple occasions, fabricating a series of personal crises and financial emergencies. She filed a complaint with the police after realising she had been deceived. Police said she continues to receive messages from the accused demanding more money.

The case is linked to the ongoing 'Operation Cambodia' — an investigation under which Abdurahman, a native of Palakkad, was recently arrested as the prime accused in a separate matrimonial scam in which a doctor was defrauded of ₹37 lakh after being approached through a similar fake matrimonial site. Investigations conducted as part of that operation led police to the Cambodia-based Chinese cyber racket responsible for defrauding the Ernakulam woman as well. The syndicate was also found to have created over 1,000 fake matrimonial profiles — both male and female — to lure and deceive victims.