What it looks like
"I have sent you a gold set and some cash as a gift from London. Customs is holding the parcel. Please pay the clearance fee today, I will return it when we meet."
How the matrimonial scam works
- The scammer creates a profile with attractive photos and a strong job, such as doctor, engineer, army officer or NRI working abroad.
- They chat every day, move the talk to WhatsApp and quickly speak about marriage and a shared future.
- They avoid meeting in person and make excuses to skip video calls or sharing ID.
- Once trust is built, a money request appears: customs fees for a gift, visa or ticket costs, or a sudden medical emergency.
- Sometimes a fake 'customs officer' or 'relative' calls to add pressure.
- After you pay, they invent a new reason for more money, or block you and vanish.
Red flags
- Pressure to commit or marry very quickly.
- Any request for money before you have met in person.
- A gift sent from abroad that needs a fee to release it.
- Repeated excuses to avoid video calls, meeting, or sharing ID.
- Will not let you speak to their family, or 'family' is only on the phone.
- Sudden emergencies and emotional pressure like 'if you love me, you will help'.
- Job or company details you cannot verify.
What to do
- Stop sending money and stop all contact.
- Save evidence: profile link, chats, phone numbers, UPI IDs and bank receipts.
- In India, call 1930 at once and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. Fast reporting gives the best chance to freeze the money.
- Report the fake profile to the matrimonial site or app.
- Tell your bank right away if you shared card or account details.
- Outside India, report to your national fraud line (for example ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US, Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 in the UK).
Protect your family
Families should do their own checks: video calls, meeting the person and their parents, and verifying their job directly with the employer. Make it a family rule that no money moves before an in-person meeting.
Also known as: marriage fraud, matrimony site scam, fake NRI groom scam
Questions people ask
How do I know if a matrimonial profile is fake?
Do a reverse image search on the photos, insist on a live video call, verify the job with the company, and meet the person and family. A profile that avoids all of these is a strong warning sign.
Can I get my money back after a matrimonial fraud?
Sometimes, if you act fast. In India call 1930 immediately and file at cybercrime.gov.in so the money can be frozen in the scammer's account before it moves on.
Is the customs fee for a gift from abroad real?
If someone you met online says a gift is stuck at customs and you must pay, treat it as a scam. Do not pay fees to release gifts from people you have not met.