Hisar, October 18, 2026: An Indian Army jawan posted at the Hisar Military Cantonment has reportedly lost about ₹7 lakh in a cyber fraud that began with a matrimonial app and later shifted to a fake trading platform. The victim, Dhanraj, a 32-year-old native of Tamil Nadu, was allegedly drawn into the trap by a woman who introduced herself as Saranya and claimed to live in Greenwich, United Kingdom.
How the alleged fraud unfolded
Dhanraj had downloaded the Sangam matrimonial application around one-and-a-half months earlier while looking for a life partner. After that, he received a WhatsApp message from a foreign number. The caller said her name was Saranya, stated that her father had died, and added that her maternal uncle was involved in trading in the UK.
According to the complaint, the two sides later held conversations that included conference calls between their families, and marriage was reportedly agreed upon. Dhanraj said he planned to go on leave on November 2 to travel to Chennai for the final wedding arrangements. At that stage, Saranya suggested that they begin trading together to meet the high expenses linked to the wedding.
Money sent to the fake platform
She then shared a link to an investment app named Luno Exchange and added him to a WhatsApp group titled “Luno Team -3020,” which was being administered by a person identified as Peter Williams. The initial amounts invested were small, with ₹10,000 and ₹20,000 transferred first. The app allegedly allowed limited withdrawals of displayed profits, which appeared to build confidence.
Between September 10 and September 21, Dhanraj transferred ₹3,31,760 from his own bank account and around ₹3 lakh from the account of another soldier, Sarvesh Barn. Together, the amount came to approximately ₹7 lakh. The application showed a balance of 53,093 USDT, stated to be equivalent to roughly ₹50.43 lakh.
Complaint and police action
When Dhanraj tried to withdraw the money, the funds were not released. He was then asked for more money by Saranya and the group administrator. After realising that he had been cheated, he filed a complaint through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). The matter was first registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Panchkula and later transferred to the Cyber Police Station in Sector 14, Hisar.
An FIR has been registered against unknown accused persons under Sections 318(4) (cheating) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigating officer Sanjay Kumar has confirmed the registration of the case, and the investigation is ongoing.
Why the case matters
The case highlights the risk of cyber frauds that combine matrimonial contact with unverified investment apps to target serving personnel. Police have advised the public, including members of the armed forces, to be careful while dealing with unknown people on matrimonial platforms and while investing through unverified applications.
