I was scammed on a matrimonial website by someone with a fake profile, what can I do?

I connected with someone on a matrimonial site who took money from me or misrepresented their identity to defraud me emotionally and financially. I would rather settle this without going to court if the law allows it, but I need to know my rights before I sign anything. Please tell me what to do first and what document to keep.

Under Indian law, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 – Section 318 is the starting point for this cyber law question. What follows is the position in substance, together with the steps that usually make the difference in practice.

This is a classic case of cheating under Section 318 BNS, aggravated where the person also used a fake photo/identity, which brings in Section 66D of the IT Act for cheating by personation using a computer resource.

If the fraud involved false promise of marriage to obtain money or sexual relations, courts have also allowed charges under BNS provisions on cheating and, in appropriate cases, Section 69 BNS (sexual intercourse by deceitful means), depending on the specific facts.

Matrimonial platforms are intermediaries under the IT Act and must act on user reports of fake profiles under the IT Rules, 2021; you should report the fraudulent profile to the platform in parallel with your police complaint.

Trace of the money is critical — get bank transaction details ready before filing at cybercrime.gov.in, since fund-freeze requests are only effective in the first few days after transfer.

In many matrimonial fraud cases, the accused operates from a different state or even abroad, so filing a Zero FIR at your nearest police station (regardless of where the offence occurred) ensures your complaint isn't delayed on jurisdiction grounds.

In practice, in this order: 1) Stop all financial transactions and communication with the person immediately; 2) Gather chat records, transaction proof and the fake profile details; 3) File a Zero FIR at your local police station and a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in; 4) Report the fake profile to the matrimonial platform for removal.

Timing matters here: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 – Section 318 works on limitation periods, so a matrimonial fraud claim that is right on the merits can still fail if it is brought late. You can post the details on the MyVakeel forum for a practising advocate to review, or book a paid consultation with a Bar Council verified lawyer in cyber law.

Disclaimer: This information is for general awareness and does not constitute legal advice. Statutes and their interpretation change, and outcomes depend on the facts of your case. Please consult a qualified advocate before acting on it.