• Supela police raided a Bhilai call centre on a tip-off on 29 October and arrested operator Parmanand Yadav, 24, according to Amar Ujala.
  • Police allege Facebook and Instagram ads used AI-generated images of non-existent women to draw in grooms.
  • Callers were allegedly asked for ₹2,000 first, then more money under other heads.
  • Victim numbers and total losses have not been disclosed.

Supela police in Durg district, Chhattisgarh, raided a fake matrimonial call centre in Bhilai on a tip-off on 29 October and arrested its 24-year-old operator, Parmanand Yadav, Amar Ujala reported on 31 October. Police allege he ran Facebook and Instagram ads showing AI-generated images of women who do not exist, then collected advance fees from prospective grooms. Yadav was produced in court and sent to judicial remand, the paper said.

These are police allegations, and DII has not seen an official police document. According to The420.in, the number of victims and the amount lost have not been disclosed, and investigators are examining the registers and bank accounts.

The DII Take

The AI here is the least interesting part. In the Agra case earlier this year, photos taken from the internet did the same job. The rest is old-fashioned: paid social ads, a QR code and call-centre staff on ₹7,000 a month. The ads ran on Facebook and Instagram under names that sounded like matrimony brands. Legitimate operators should expect more fake bureaus trading on the language of their category.

How the alleged scheme worked

Amar Ujala reported that the operator advertised as Kalyan Matrimony, Elite Match Matrimony and Future Partner, with fake mobile numbers on the ads. Marriage seekers from other states called and gave their biodata. They were promised marriage to the woman of their choice and sent QR codes for bank accounts in the name of 'marriage counsellors'. The first ask was ₹2,000, followed by more under other heads. After payment, the paper said, the caller's number was blacklisted.

The420.in reported that police found four young women working in a hall at Uttar Gangotri Bhawan in Supela. They told police they were hired on a promise of ₹7,000 a month and given two days of training. Amar Ujala reported they did not know it was cyber fraud. Police say the call centre had run for about three months, handling 20 to 50 calls a day.

Police say the call centre had run for about three months, handling 20 to 50 calls a day.

Seized items included ₹1.64 lakh in cash, 26 phones and 16 SIM cards, according to Amar Ujala and The420.in. Media24 News reported that Yadav was booked under Sections 317(2) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

What to watch

This is not isolated. ETV Bharat reported in August that Janjgir-Champa police arrested two people over a fake matrimonial agency, and PTI reported in September that Delhi Police raided an Agra-based racket where victims could number in the thousands. DII has also tracked a study of 35 Indian romance fraud cases.

Meanwhile, Matrimony.com reported unaudited billings up 10.7% to ₹13,109 lakh for the quarter ended 30 September, per Equity Bulls. Full results were due around 10-12 November.

  • Fake matrimony bureaus in Chhattisgarh and Agra have come to light within three months, so trust and safety teams should expect more fake matrimony operations using paid social ads.
  • Watch whether Durg police disclose victim numbers and losses, which would show the scale of a three-month operation.

Sources: Durg: accused who cheated people with AI photos and marriage promises arrested (Amar Ujala); AI-Generated Bride Photos Used to Lure Grooms, One Arrested in Durg (The420.in); Fake marriage bureau busted in Durg (Media24 News); Chhattisgarh Police Bust Fraudsters Using Fake Matrimonial Website, AI Tools To Ensnare Prospective Grooms (ETV Bharat); Fake brides, staged calls: Delhi Police busts pan-India matrimonial fraud racket (ThePrint / PTI); Matrimony.com Reports 10.7% Year-on-Year Billings Growth for Q2 FY27 (Equity Bulls)