Ahmedabad CFO Loses ₹78.99 Lakh in Crypto Scam After Contact Through Matrimonial App

A 33-year-old Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a private company in Ahmedabad has alleged that he was cheated of ₹78.99 lakh in a cryptocurrency investment scam after being befriended by a woman through a matrimonial application. The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the alleged fraud.

Contact began on matrimonial app

According to the FIR, Hardik Chandrakantbhai Soni, a resident of Shayona Fairmont in Vadaj and Chief Financial Officer at Alpine Taxworld Limited, subscribed to the Sangam matrimonial application in March 2025.

On May 8, 2025, he came across the profile of a woman identifying herself as Harshitha Gondawith (Profile ID: Harshitha-FS64217032) and initiated contact. The two later shifted their conversations to WhatsApp, where the woman allegedly shared personal details and gradually built a relationship with him.

Woman allegedly lured victim with crypto success story

During their conversations, the woman claimed she had earned substantial profits through cryptocurrency investments and had even purchased a house in central Berlin, Germany, using those earnings. She allegedly shared videos of the property to convince Soni of the legitimacy of the investment opportunity.

Although he initially declined to invest, Soni eventually agreed after she sent him a link to a trading platform identified as m.bitcoin-on.com.

Nearly ₹79 lakh transferred over several months

Police said Soni created an account on the website using his name, email address, mobile number and driving licence details.

He was allegedly instructed by the platform's customer support to transfer money into multiple bank accounts. After each payment, he was asked to share screenshots of the transaction receipts, following which the equivalent value was purportedly credited to his online account in USDT, a cryptocurrency pegged to the US dollar.

Between May 8, 2025 and January 26, 2026, Soni transferred amounts ranging from ₹10,000 to more than ₹10 lakh in multiple instalments, with the total investment reaching ₹78.99 lakh.

Withdrawal blocked with repeated demands for more money

The complainant alleged that when he later attempted to withdraw his investment and the promised returns, the operators of the platform repeatedly demanded additional payments towards taxes, processing charges and other fees.

Despite making substantial payments, neither his invested amount nor the promised profits were released.

Realising he had been defrauded, Soni lodged an online complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) on January 21, 2026. After the money could not be recovered, he approached the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime police station and filed a formal FIR.

Cyber Crime police launch probe

The FIR names the woman using the profile Harshitha-FS64217032, the user of the associated WhatsApp number, the creators and operators of the alleged fraudulent investment website, the holders of the bank accounts that received the funds, and other unidentified persons who may emerge during the investigation.

Police suspect the fraud is part of an organised cybercrime network in which victims are first befriended through social media or matrimonial platforms before being persuaded to invest in fake cryptocurrency trading portals promising high returns.

The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. Investigators are examining bank transactions, digital evidence, communication records and the financial trail to identify those behind the alleged scam.