Conman cheats over 50 women through matrimonial apps, raising safety concerns

Mukeem Khan, a 38-year-old man from Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, has been arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch for cheating more than 50 women across the country through matrimonial apps. Khan would befriend women online via these platforms, ask them to marry him, and then vanish with their money once he had gained their trust. His victims included a woman judge from Uttar Pradesh, who was also fooled by him. Matrimonial apps served as a key tool in his fraudulent activities, allowing him to target vulnerable women seeking genuine relationships.

How matrimonial apps can be used for scams

Khan used matrimonial websites to carry out his scams. He created multiple fake profiles and posed as a government officer, specifically targeting Muslim women who were unmarried, divorced, or widowed. He would spin a false story about his wife’s death and claim that he was struggling to take care of his daughter. To make his lies believable, Khan shared pictures of his real wife and daughter with the women. He even met some of the women’s families and convinced them by fixing wedding dates.

After gaining their trust, Khan would ask the women for money under the pretext of booking a marriage hall or covering other wedding expenses. Once he got the money, he would disappear, cutting all contact with the women.

Khan’s scam started in 2020, six years after his own marriage. His first victim was a divorced woman from Vadodara, Gujarat, who had a five-year-old daughter. He proposed to her and then asked for ₹30,000, claiming that he had lost his wallet. She gave him the money, and after living with her for a short period, Khan moved on to his next target.

In 2023, Khan married another woman in Delhi, who was a widow. He continued the same pattern, conning women in different states by telling fake stories to extract money from them. His victims gave him expensive gifts, including jewelry, mobile phones, and even two-wheelers, which he later sold for money.

In one case, Khan paid a small token amount to book a scooter for a woman, and then asked her to pay the remaining amount, claiming he was short on cash. After the payment, he disappeared during their first ride on the scooter.

Khan’s arrest has brought relief to many of his victims, but police believe there could be more women who have not yet come forward. The investigation into his scams is ongoing.

Safety concerns with matrimonial and dating apps

With the rise of cases like Mukeem Khan’s scams, the safety of online dating and matrimonial platforms is becoming a serious concern. These platforms are meant to help people find partners, but when fake profiles are created to cheat others, trust is lost. In India, where many women still face issues like dowry demands and financial exploitation, online platforms are increasingly becoming a new place for these problems to occur.

Women being targeted online

Women in India already face daily struggles, from domestic violence to harassment. Now, they are being targeted online as well. The fact that over 50 women were scammed by one man shows that this is not an isolated issue. Every day, countless women may be falling victim to such deceit.

Need for stronger protection

Despite having policies and schemes to protect women, the country is still struggling to ensure their safety, both offline and online. It is essential for authorities to strengthen security measures on these platforms and for users to stay cautious while using them.

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