Indian police authorities have apprehended a 45-year-old Nigerian man who masqueraded as an American doctor to deceive a woman and fraudulently obtain ₹2.91 lakh under the pretense of marriage in India.
The suspect, identified as Peter Johnson from Lajpat Nagar in New Delhi, was taken into custody based on a complaint filed by a woman on June 28, 2023, according to the police authorities.
The accused had initiated contact with the victim through a matrimonial website, leading to their frequent communication. The police have seized 26 mobile phones, 15 SIM cards, and 27 ATM cards from the suspect's possession.
The complainant, a mother of a 12-year-old son who is currently going through a divorce, revealed that she registered on the matrimonial website. On January 19, 2023, she received a WhatsApp message from a person introducing himself as Vipan from Texas, claiming to be a doctor. Subsequently, they started chatting regularly.
Gradually, the caller convinced the victim to marry him and requested her passport details, which she provided through WhatsApp. The caller assured her that all the necessary legal documents were prepared and informed her of his upcoming visit to India for their marriage.
“On February 13, 2023, the accused sent her his air ticket and informed her about his arrival in India. However, on the same day, she received a call from someone named Shikha, who identified herself as a police officer from the Delhi Airport Authority. Shikha informed the victim that Vipan had arrived in India but was found in possession of excessive articles, dollars, and gold. Shikha requested ₹36,000 from the victim to release the items. Believing the caller, the victim transferred the money,” stated the police.
Two hours later, the victim received another call from the same caller demanding ₹2,55,800 to release the supposedly excessive gold brought by Vipan. Trusting the caller, the victim once again transferred the money. Subsequently, both Vipan's and Shikha's phone numbers were switched off.
Upon realizing that she had been deceived, the victim lodged a complaint with the cyber police, resulting in the registration of a case of cheating and criminal conspiracy on March 6 at the Cyber police station in Sector 17.
The police conducted raids in Lajpat Nagar and Govind Puri areas of Delhi, leading to the arrest of the accused, Peter, on June 23. The investigation led to the recovery of the mobile phone used in the crime, along with several other mobile phones, SIM cards, and ATM cards found in his possession.