Matrimonial fraud: Nigerian gang cheated more than 100 women

Officials said they were reaching out to other victims to check if they have already registered complaints or whether they want to lodge a complaint with city police. “Apart from Paulinus Chikeluo and Cletus Ikechukwu who were arrested, two more persons, including a woman, are part of the gang,” said an official.

The arrested duo reached Delhi in 2019 and settled in Uttam Nagar. Information from the four laptops and 15 mobile phones seized from them revealed that they downloaded men’s photos from Facebook to create fake matrimonial profiles. “They chose divorcees and widows to interact directly with the woman and also calculating that they would be in need of emotional support,” said an official.

They bought SIM cards using identity credentials of daily wagers and pavement dwellers and also opened bank accounts with fake documents. “The accused were identified with the help of CCTV footage and also from the recording of pinhole cameras at an ATM in Uttam Nagar from where they withdrew cash,” added the official.