Romance frauds in the digital age: An informative guide for lawyers

Learn how to build a bulletproof romance fraud case using cutting-edge legal frameworks, preserving volatile digital evidence before it disappears, drafting complaints that trigger a serious investigation and implementing dual criminal-civil strategies for maximum recovery. Whether you are a cyber law professional, an aspiring one, or a victim, this guide will come in handy.

Introduction

“I feel so stupid. How could I fall for this?”

Mitsu sat across from me in my chamber, tears streaming down her face, clutching a folder thick with printed WhatsApp conversations and bank statements. It was a Tuesday morning in March 2024, and I was about to encounter one of the most sophisticated romance frauds I had seen in my six years of practice.

This was not just another case file. This was a window into how digital predators are evolving and how we, as legal practitioners, need to stay ahead of the curve.

Mitsu, a 35-year-old corporate lawyer from Mumbai, had been single for three years after her divorce. Like millions of Indians, she turned to a matrimonial app to find companionship. What she found instead was “Arjun Sharma”, a charming investment banker supposedly working in Dubai.

“He seemed perfect,” she told me, her voice barely above a whisper. “He knew exactly what to say, when to say it. He made me feel special after years of loneliness.”

The relationship progressed exactly as these frauds typically do: what we now recognise as the classic playbook. First came the love bombing: constant messages, virtual flowers, promises of a future together. Then the emotional dependency phase: late-night calls, sharing of personal struggles, creating an illusion of intimacy.

But here is where Mitsu’s case became particularly instructive for legal practitioners: the fraud evolved over eight months. This was not a quick cash grab. It was a methodical, sophisticated operation that would challenge everything I thought I knew about digital evidence preservation and cross-jurisdictional enforcement.

“He said his company had frozen his accounts due to some compliance issue,” Mitsu continued. “He needed money for his mother’s heart surgery. Just a temporary loan until his accounts were unfrozen.”

The first transfer was Rs. 50,000. Then Rs. 1,20,000 for “legal fees.” Then Rs. 2,00,000 for “medical emergencies.” By the time Mitsu realised she had been duped, she had lost Rs. 3.7 lakhs.

That is when her real journey began.

Through Mitu’s journey from victim to survivor, you will discover how to build bulletproof romance fraud cases using the BNS provisions and IT Act sections. I will walk you through evidence preservation techniques that actually work, complaint drafting strategies that get results, and the dual criminal-civil approach that maximises recovery chances.

What is India’s statutory legal framework?

When Mitsu finished her story, I knew we had a strong case, but the legal landscape for fraud had shifted significantly, and I needed to map out our strategy carefully.

Here is what every lawyer handling romance fraud needs to understand:

Section 318 of BNS – Cheating is our primary weapon.

In Mitsu’s case, this was a textbook application. “Arjun” had deceived her about his identity, financial status, and intentions, fraudulently inducing her to part with money.

But here is where it gets interesting and where many lawyers miss the nuance.

Section 319 of BNS – Personation became crucial because “Arjun” had created an entirely false identity. This is not just about using a fake name; it is about assuming the character of another person with the intent to deceive. The penalty? Up to three years’ imprisonment.

The Information Technology Act provisions are where the real teeth are:

Section 66D – Cheating by personation using computer resources carries a punishment of up to three years imprisonment and a fine up to one lakh rupees. This was a game-changer for us because it specifically addresses digital impersonation for cheating.

Section 66C – Identity theft was applicable because “Arjun” had fraudulently used identity information to impersonate someone else online.

“But how do we prove he is not who he claims to be?” Mitsu asked during our second meeting.

That question would define our entire strategy.

Building the digital evidence database

I have learned that romance fraud cases live or die on digital evidence. Unlike traditional fraud cases, where you might have physical documents or witnesses, here everything exists in the digital realm, and it is frighteningly easy to lose.

My first instruction to Mitsu was immediate evidence preservation:

“Do not delete anything. Do not even open the app until we have created a complete backup,” I told her. “Every screenshot, every conversation, every notification: it all matters now.”

We spent the next week methodically documenting everything:

Complete chat logs from the matrimonial app and WhatsApp
Voice messages and call logs (thankfully, Mitsu had recorded some conversations)
Bank statements showing all transfers
Screenshots of “Arjun’s” profile, including photos and claimed credentials
Email communications and any file exchanges

But here is where many lawyers falter: they treat digital evidence like traditional documents. Digital evidence requires understanding metadata, establishing a chain of custody, and ensuring admissibility under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023.

Section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 is critical here. Any electronic record must be accompanied by a certificate identifying the electronic record, describing how it was produced, and giving particulars of any device involved.

I prepared detailed certificates for every piece of digital evidence, signed by Mitsu as the person in lawful custody of the computer/device that produced the records.

The complaint drafting strategy

After three weeks of evidence gathering, it was time to draft the complaint. This is where I see many colleagues go wrong; they approach romance fraud complaints like traditional cheating complaints, missing the digital nuances entirely.

Here is the structure I have refined over dozens of such cases:

Opening: establishing credibility and context

I began Mitsu’s complaint not with legal jargon, but with establishing her credibility and the sophisticated nature of the fraud:

“The complainant is a corporate lawyer who has a good understanding of digital technologies, making this fraud particularly sophisticated as it successfully deceived someone with technical knowledge about digital platforms and security.”

This preemptively addressed any questions about why a tech-savvy person fell for an online fraud.

Chronological narrative

Create a timeline that tells the story

Rather than a dry factual recitation, I crafted a narrative that showed the psychological manipulation:

“The accused initiated contact on [date] through [platform], immediately establishing an emotional connection by claiming shared interests and values. Over the following weeks, the accused systematically built emotional dependency through daily communication, sharing of personal information, and promises of marriage and a future together.”

I learned to break the timeline into phases:

Contact Phase: How the initial connection was established
Grooming Phase: Building emotional dependency
Exploitation Phase: Financial requests begin
Escalation Phase: Increasing urgency and amounts
Discovery Phase: When deception was revealed

Legal mapping

This is where technical precision matters. I mapped each fraudulent act to specific legal provisions:

“The act of creating a false identity ‘Arjun Sharma’ with fabricated professional credentials constitutes personation under section 319 of BNS and identity theft under section 66C of the IT Act.”

“The systematic deception to induce monetary transfers constitutes cheating under section 318 of BNS and cheating by personation using computer resources under section 66D of the IT Act.”

Relief and investigation requests

I have learned to be specific about what we want:

Registration of FIR under the relevant sections
Technical investigation including IP address tracing, device identification, and digital forensics
Financial investigation to trace transferred funds and identify beneficiary accounts
Coordination with other states/countries if fraud involves interstate or international elements
Freezing of identified accounts to prevent dissipation of funds.

Here is the complaint that I drafted and filed on behalf of Mitsu:

To: 15th March 2024

The Inspector of Police
Cybercrime Unit
1st Floor, G-Block,
Bandra Kurla Complex
Bandra (east), Mumbai.

Respected Sir/Madam,

I, Advocate [Name], Enrollment No. [Number], do hereby submit this complaint on behalf of my client, Ms. Mitsu G., aged 35 years, corporate lawyer, residing at [add her residential address]:

My client has been systematically defrauded of Rs. 3,70,000 through an elaborate romance fraud scheme perpetrated over digital platforms spanning eight months. Despite being a technology professional with adequate knowledge of digital security, she became a victim of a sophisticated impersonation and cheating operation that exploited emotional vulnerability for financial gain.

A. Background and modus operandi

On July 10 2023, my client was contacted through the matrimonial platform “SoulMate” by an individual using the fabricated identity “Arjun Sharma” who presented himself as:

Age: 34 years
Profession: Investment Banker
Company: “Global Finance Solutions LLC”, Dubai, UAE
Education: Claimed IIM Bangalore graduate
Platform profile ID: SM_AS_7890123
WhatsApp contact: +971-XX-XXX-XXXX

The accused employed a systematic three-phase approach to defraud my client:

Phase 1: Trust building (July – October 2023): The accused invested significant time in creating emotional dependency through daily communication, sharing fabricated personal stories, discussing marriage plans, and demonstrating apparent financial stability through fake salary slips and bank statements. Crucially, he consistently avoided video calls, citing various technical excuses.

Phase 2: Financial exploitation (November 2023 – January 2024): Once emotional dependency was established, the accused began systematic financial exploitation through fabricated emergencies:

First request – November 15, 2023:

Claimed issue: Company account frozen due to “compliance audit”
Amount demanded: Rs. 50,000
Transfer date: November 16, 2023
Transaction ID: SBI123456789

Second request – December 8, 2023:

Claimed issue: Urgent legal fees to resolve a compliance matter
Amount demanded: Rs. 1,20,000
Transfer date: December 10, 2023
Transaction ID: SBI987654321

Third request – January 20, 2024:

Claimed issue: Mother’s emergency heart surgery
Amount demanded: Rs. 2,00,000
Transfer date: January 22, 2024
Transaction ID: SBI456789123

Total amount defrauded: Rs. 3,70,000

All transfers were made to:

Account Name: Arjun Kumar Sharma
Account Number: 123456789012
Bank: State Bank of India, Sector 18, Noida Branch
IFSC Code: SBIN0001234

Phase 3: Discovery and confrontation (February 2024) Growing suspicious of repeated financial requests and continued avoidance of personal meetings, my client conducted an independent investigation revealing:

Profile photos stolen from fitness trainer’s Instagram account
Company “Global Finance Solutions LLC” is non-existent in Dubai business records
Phone number registered to a different person in Dubai
Bank account beneficiary address inconsistent with claimed residence

When confronted on February 28 2024, the accused initially denied allegations, promised to return money, then ceased all communication.

The accused’s conduct constitutes clear violations under:

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023:

Section 318 (Cheating): Systematic deception through false identity and fabricated circumstances to fraudulently induce money transfers
Section 319 (Criminal impersonation): Assuming false identity “Arjun Sharma” with intent to deceive and defraud

Information Technology Act, 2000:

Section 66D (Cheating by personation using computer resources): Using matrimonial platform, WhatsApp, and email to create a fraudulent identity and commit fraud
Section 66C (Identity theft): Fraudulent use of identity information to impersonate a non-existent person

Given the sophisticated digital nature of this fraud, we respectfully submit that the investigation should include:

Technical investigation that involves IP address tracing across all platforms used, device identification and location tracking, and digital forensics of communication metadata.
Financial investigation that involves complete analysis of beneficiary account (SBI A/c No. 123456789012), transaction trail mapping and fund flow analysis, account freezing to prevent dissipation, cross-reference with similar fraud patterns
Investigation of a potential organised fraud network

My client has meticulously preserved comprehensive evidence, which is being submitted herewith:

Digital communication evidence:

Complete WhatsApp chat archive (July 2023 – February 2024) – 847 messages
Voice messages and call recordings – 23 audio files, 14 hours total
Matrimonial platform conversation screenshots with profile details
Email communications – 34 emails containing fake documents

Bank statements showing all three fraudulent transfers
NEFT/RTGS transaction receipts with complete details
Loan documentation from a family member for the final transfer

Reverse image search results prove photo theft
Company verification reports from the Dubai business registry
Phone number verification shows a different registered owner
Screenshots of fake documents (salary slips, medical reports)

In view of the above facts and circumstances, it is most respectfully prayed that your good office may kindly:

Register FIR under relevant sections of BNS 2023 and IT Act 2000
Conduct a thorough investigation with technical and financial analysis
Coordinate with relevant agencies for interstate investigation
Freeze identified bank accounts to prevent fund dissipation
Trace and arrest the accused person(s) involved

My client is fully committed to cooperating with the investigation and providing any additional evidence or testimony as required. This complaint is filed not only for personal justice but also to prevent similar frauds against other vulnerable individuals in our society.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Advocate [Name]
For the Complainant

Date: March 15, 2024
Place: Mumbai

Verification by the complainant

I, Ms. Mitsu G, do hereby solemnly affirm that the contents of the above complaint are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief, and nothing material has been concealed. The facts have been narrated to my learned counsel, and I authorise him to represent me in this matter.

Ms. Mitsu G
Complainant

Verified at Mumbai on this 15th day of March, 2024.

Enclosures:

ANNEXURE-A: Complainant’s identity documents

Aadhaar card copy

ANNEXURE-B: Digital evidence collection

B1: Complete WhatsApp chat logs (PDF format – 89 pages)
B2: Voice messages compilation (MP3 files on CD)
B3: Matrimonial platform screenshots (15 pages)
B4: Email communications with the accused (34 emails)

ANNEXURE – C: Financial Documentation

C1: Bank statements (November 2023 – February 2024)
C2: NEFT/RTGS transaction receipts (3 transactions)

Jurisdiction

“Where do we file this complaint?” Mitsu asked. It is a question that determines everything that follows.

Romance frauds create unique jurisdictional challenges. The victim is in one location, the fraudster’s claimed location is another, the beneficiary accounts might be in a third location, and the actual fraudster could be anywhere in the world.

Here is my decision matrix:

Local police station: File here if you want quick registration and the case involves simple local elements. But be prepared for limited technical capability.

Cybercrime unit: Better equipped for technical investigation, but may have longer processing times. Essential if the fraud involves sophisticated technical elements.

Online cybercrime portal (cybercrime.gov.in): Useful for immediate reporting and creating a digital trail, but follow up with a physical complaint for serious investigation.

In Mitsu’s case, I chose a dual approach: Immediate online reporting followed by a detailed complaint to the Mumbai Cybercrime cell.

Why? The sophisticated nature of the fraud, the substantial amount involved, and the need for technical investigation made the cybercrime unit the optimal choice.

The investigation phase

“How long will this take?” It’s the question every client asks, and the one we struggle to answer honestly.

I have learned to prepare clients for three possible outcomes:

Best case scenario: Fraudster is identified, accounts traced, partial recovery possible. Timeline: 6-12 months.

Moderate outcome: Investigation leads to some information, case registered, but limited recovery. Timeline: 12-18 months.

Challenging outcome: Limited leads, investigation faces technical or jurisdictional hurdles, and minimal recovery. Timeline: 18+ months.

“I am not doing this just for the money anymore,” Mitsu told me during one of our follow-ups. “I want to prevent this from happening to others.”

That mindset shift is crucial for both the lawyer and the client. Recovery is ideal, but deterrence and justice matter too.

Three months into Mitsu’s case, we got our first breakthrough.

The cybercrime unit’s technical investigation revealed that “Arjun’s” WhatsApp account was registered to a number linked to a fake identity document. More importantly, the beneficiary bank accounts showed patterns consistent with money laundering operations.

The investigation had connected Mitsu’s case to a larger network operating across multiple states.

Civil remedies

While the criminal case progressed, I advised Mitsu to consider civil remedies. Many lawyers focus exclusively on criminal law in fraud cases, missing opportunities for faster resolution.

Money recovery suit: Filed in the court having jurisdiction over the beneficiary bank accounts, seeking recovery of the defrauded amount with interest and costs.

Injunction: Sought freezing of identified accounts to prevent dissipation of recovered funds.

The civil track moved faster than the criminal investigation and created additional pressure on the fraudsters.

Here is what I learned about combining criminal and civil remedies:

The criminal complaint creates official recognition of the fraud, while civil suits provide quicker recovery mechanisms. The evidence gathered for criminal cases strengthens civil suits, and civil judgments can support criminal prosecution.

Challenges

Throughout my decade-long journey as a cyber law specialist, I have encountered several recurring challenges that have shaped my practice and taught me invaluable lessons. Here is how I have navigated these obstacles and the strategies I have developed to overcome them:

Victim psychology: Romance fraud victims often feel ashamed and may not cooperate fully. I have learned to approach this sensitively, focusing on the sophisticated nature of modern frauds rather than victim choices.
Digital evidence volatility: Online accounts can be deleted, platforms may not cooperate, and evidence can disappear quickly. Speed in evidence preservation is crucial.
Jurisdictional complexities: When fraudsters operate across borders, coordination between agencies becomes challenging. I maintain contacts with cybercrime officials in multiple states to facilitate such coordination.
Technical investigation limitations: Many police stations lack advanced digital forensics capabilities. Building relationships with technical experts and cybercrime units is essential.

The resolution

As I write this, eighteen months after Mitsu first walked into my chamber, her case represents both the challenges and possibilities in romance fraud litigation.

The criminal case: The mastermind behind “Arjun Sharma” was identified as part of an organised gang operating from Jharkhand. Three arrests have been made, and the case is now under trial. The sophisticated technical investigation revealed a network of over 200 fake profiles operated by the gang.

The recovery: Through freezing orders and civil suits, we have recovered Rs. 2.1 lakhs of Mitsu’s money, which is about 57% of her losses. Not complete, but significant enough to rebuild her financial security.

The impact: Mitsu’s case contributed to busting a larger operation that had defrauded over Rs. 2 crores from victims across six states.

“I never thought I would say this,” Mitsu told me during our last meeting, “but going through this legal process gave me back something more than money, it gave me back my confidence.”

Preventive measures

The guide I developed combines hard-learned lessons with practical prevention strategies. It is designed in two parts for easy sharing and reference:

Part 1 focuses on immediate recognition; the core protection rules and warning signs that could have saved Mitsu from her ordeal.

Part 2 provides actionable verification steps and emergency response guidance.

Bottom line

Romance frauds are evolving faster than our legal responses. Artificial intelligence is making fake profiles more convincing, deepfake technology is enabling voice and video manipulation, and cryptocurrencies are making money trails harder to follow.

But our legal framework is also evolving. The BNS provides stronger provisions, the IT Act amendments are making digital evidence more admissible, and investigative agencies are building better technical capabilities.

The key is staying ahead of the curve.

I now train other lawyers on digital fraud investigation techniques. We have created template documents for evidence preservation, developed checklists for complaint drafting, and built networks for inter-state coordination.

Most importantly, we have learned to see romance fraud cases not as individual client problems, but as part of a larger battle for digital safety and justice.

“Every case we fight properly,” I tell my junior colleagues, “makes it a little harder for the next fraudster and a little safer for the next victim.”

The digital age has given fraudsters new tools, but it has also given us new weapons. The question is not whether we can win these battles; it is whether we are prepared to fight them with the sophistication they deserve.

Every romance fraud case teaches us something new about human psychology, digital technology, and legal strategy. The lawyers who thrive in this space are those who approach each case as both an individual client matter and a contribution to our collective understanding of digital crime.

Mitsu’s case closed eighteen months ago. But her story continues to guide how I approach every romance fraud that walks through my door.

Because in the end, that is what makes us effective advocates in the digital age; not just knowing the law, but understanding the lives it is meant to protect.