Fraudsters sent fake profiles via WhatsApp and collected money under package schemes
Published on: April 01, 2026
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
Police in the Basantpur police station area have arrested two individuals accused of running a fraudulent marriage bureau and cheating several youths of lakhs of rupees. The accused allegedly operated a fake office under the name “Love Life Rishte Marriage Bureau” and carried out organized financial fraud.
Fake Profiles Created Using Internet Photos
According to police officials, the accused downloaded photographs of young women from the internet and created fake matrimonial profiles. These fabricated profiles were then circulated to prospective grooms through WhatsApp messages to gain their trust.
After establishing contact, the accused demanded money under the pretext of registration fees, premium packages, and arranging family meetings.
Victims were reportedly charged between ₹30,000 and ₹40,000, after which communication with them was abruptly terminated.
₹37.69 Lakh Financial Transactions Exposed
During the investigation, police examined one year of bank account statements linked to the accused. The probe revealed financial transactions totaling ₹37,69,000, indicating large-scale cheating operations.
Police seized the following items from the spot:
- 07 Android mobile phones
- 14 keypad mobile phones
- 09 registers and notebooks
Digital examination of the seized devices revealed 2,286 downloaded photographs of women, which were allegedly used to prepare fake matrimonial profiles.
Two Accused Arrested and Produced Before Court
The arrested accused have been identified as:
- Neha Pathak (23), resident of Labour Colony, Rajnandgaon
- Dharmendra Manikpuri (32), resident of Village Jangalpur, District Kabirdham, currently residing in Riddhi-Siddhi Colony, Rajnandgaon
Both accused were arrested and produced before the court under judicial custody.
Police Action Under Senior Officers’ Supervision
Following information received by Superintendent of Police Ankita Sharma, an investigation team was formed under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Kirtan Rathore and City Superintendent of Police Vaishali Jain.
A case has been registered at Basantpur Police Station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. The operation was executed by a police team led by Station House Officer Inspector Aman Sahu.
Police Advisory to Citizens
Rajnandgaon Police have appealed to citizens not to transfer money without proper verification when receiving marriage proposals through online marriage bureaus, social media platforms, or WhatsApp.
People have been urged to immediately inform the nearest police station about any suspicious matrimonial or online activity to prevent financial fraud.
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