The Cyber-crime Branch in Bhopal has uncovered a significant matrimonial fraud involving six fake websites and call centres operating out of Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. The operation, which defrauded numerous individuals under the pretext of arranging marriages, led to the arrest of Harish Bhardwaj (24), the manager of one of these fraudulent call centres.
The case came to light when Anand Kumar Dixit, a 47-year-old resident of Kasturba Nagar near Chetak Bridge, filed a complaint on May 4. Dixit had come across an advertisement for the “Sangam Vivah Matrimony” website on Facebook, which redirected him to a WhatsApp chat where he was shown pictures of prospective brides. After selecting a profile, he was contacted by someone posing as the woman and convinced to pay for various marriage-related expenses, including legal fees, wedding preparations, jewelry, and other formalities. In total, Rs 1.5 lakh was defrauded from Dixit.
Following an investigation, police arrested Harish Bhardwaj, who managed the call centre. During questioning, Bhardwaj admitted his role in the scam and revealed that his call centres were located in Aligarh, Banaras, and Bilaspur. Police also seized two mobile phones used in the crime and froze a bank account associated with the fraudulent activities.
The investigation revealed that Bhardwaj’s call centre operated under several fake matrimonial websites, including:
Indian Royal Matrimony
Search Rishtey
Dream Partner India
Sat Phere Matrimony
Sangam Vivah
My Shaadi Planner
These websites heavily advertised on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, targeting unsuspecting individuals. To further the scam, Bhardwaj employed women at the call centres, paying them Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per month to pose as potential suitors and defraud people.
