SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police have warned people against cyber fraud through matrimonial applications, urging users to verify profiles and identities before establishing trust or sharing personal information with strangers online.
The advisory highlights how fraudsters allegedly use fake profiles, attractive photographs and false personal details to approach prospective partners, build emotional connections through chats and calls, and subsequently seek money on various pretexts.
According to the advisory, such requests may be framed as financial emergencies, medical expenses, business losses or travel costs. Victims may also face blackmail, extortion or identity theft, it warns.
Police have advised users to exercise caution when interacting with people they meet on matrimonial platforms and to verify their backgrounds before proceeding with a relationship. They have also urged people not to transfer money to unverified contacts or disclose sensitive financial information.
The advisory further recommends using the safety features available on matrimonial applications and reporting suspicious behaviour to the relevant platforms.
Users have specifically been cautioned against sharing one-time passwords (OTPs), bank details and other sensitive information with strangers.
The police have urged people who encounter cyber fraud to report it through the national cybercrime reporting portal, cybercrime.gov.in, or by calling the cybercrime helpline 1930.
The advisory emphasises that online relationships should be approached with caution and that verifying a person’s identity can help reduce the risk of financial and other forms of cybercrime.
