Looking for love, finding fraud: How AI makes matrimony scams harder to spot

When a 35-year-old software engineer received an interest request from a seemingly well-qualified architect on a matrimonial platform, it felt routine. The woman’s profile featured professionally shot photographs, verified documents, and regular social media activity. Over weeks of conversations, she spoke about work, family, and plans for marriage, even joining calls that appeared genuine. Then came a casual mention of how she had been earning ‘safe returns’ through forex trading—and an offer to help him invest.

Within days, the man transferred money into what seemed like a legitimate trading platform. The dashboard showed steady profits, encouraging him to invest more. It was only when he tried to withdraw his money that the platform stopped responding. Investigators later found that the woman never existed.

Her photographs had been generated using artificial intelligence (AI), the video calls manipulated with AI tools, and the identity documents forged. The entire relationship had been orchestrated by a network operating dozens of fake matrimonial profiles from a handful of devices.

According to identity verification firm Bureau, India now ranks third globally for new romance scam profiles, accounting for 12 per cent of such profiles worldwide.

Surat to Kochi, cases crop up

Around two weeks ago, the Gujarat Police arrested five people, including a doctor, for allegedly running a cyber fraud syndicate that cheated residents of Surat through fake matrimonial profiles and a bogus forex investment scheme.

A fake matrimonial profile was created by the accused to target financially stable victims. After contacting the victim through a matrimonial app, a fake forex investment opportunity was introduced.

The Kochi cyber police too reported last month that fraudsters were extensively using matrimonial sites to identify potential victims.

Story continues below this ad

“Matrimony fraud in India has moved far beyond fake names and stolen photographs. In the past, scammers mostly created simple fake profiles to gain someone’s trust. Today, they use AI tools to create realistic-looking faces, edit identity documents, and build completely fake identities that appear genuine. Some even use image editing and voice technology to make conversations feel more believable,” Zakir Hussain Rangwala, CEO, BD Software Distribution Pvt Ltd, a firm offering cybersecurity solutions, told indianexpress.com.

“This makes it much harder for people to recognise a scam. The goal is still the same: to win trust and ask for money or sensitive personal information. As these scams become more convincing, users need to be more careful than ever. Platforms must also strengthen their verification process, so fake identities are detected early, before they can cause harm to innocent people,” Rangwala added.

Deependra Singh, a cyber security expert with the Betul police in Madhya Pradesh, said, “Matrimony fraud was once limited to fake profiles, but AI has made it far more dangerous. Today, anyone can create convincing fake photographs, forged documents, and highly believable online identities to gain a person’s trust.”

Fraudsters invest time, build trust

“The biggest challenge is that fraudsters rarely ask for money immediately. Instead, they invest time in building a relationship, communicate regularly, and may even participate in video calls to appear genuine. Only after earning the victim’s confidence do they ask for money, often citing an emergency or presenting an investment opportunity,” Singh added.

Story continues below this ad

According to Rangwala, matrimony platforms are attractive targets for cybercriminals because they are built on trust. “People willingly share personal details, family information, career backgrounds, and future while looking for a life partner. This gives fraudsters valuable information to misuse. They know that users are more likely to believe someone who appears genuine and communicates regularly,” he said.

“Many of the AI-based tricks used on these platforms, such as fake identities, edited images, and forged documents, are later seen in other industries like banking, fintech, and online shopping. In this way, matrimony platforms often become an early sign of how identity fraud is evolving,” Rangwala added.

Generative AI and matrimonial scams

As AI lowers the cost and effort required to create believable digital identities, experts have warned that traditional Know Your Customer processes and visual verification are no longer sufficient. The same techniques emerging on matrimonial platforms are now spreading to banking, fintech, e-commerce, and other digital services, making romance scams an early indicator of a broader wave of AI-driven identity fraud.

“Generative AI has made romance scams more convincing and easier to carry out. Earlier, scammers spent a lot of time creating fake profiles and writing messages. Today, AI can quickly generate realistic profile pictures, natural conversations, and even voice or video content that appears genuine. This allows fraudsters to target many people at the same time with very little effort,” Rangwala explained.

Story continues below this ad

The messages feel more personal, and because the content looks and sounds real, many users may not notice the warning signs until it is too late, he noted. “This growing use of AI shows that people should not rely only on online conversations. Verifying a person’s identity and taking time before trusting someone is now more important than ever,” Rangwala said.

“My simplest advice is: never place your trust in someone online too quickly. Don’t make decisions based solely on a profile, photographs, or even video calls. Always involve your family, independently verify the person’s identity, and confirm the information through trusted sources before moving forward,” Singh said.

“Technology is evolving rapidly, so simply knowing how to use a smartphone is no longer enough. We also need to become smart digital users. Awareness and independent verification remain the strongest safeguards against these evolving scams,” he added.

Red flags, according to experts

📍 Be cautious if someone tries to build trust or an emotional bond very quickly. Fraudsters usually don’t ask for money immediately; they first spend time developing a relationship and gaining your confidence.

Story continues below this ad

📍 Don’t ignore warning signs that identify a fake or AI-generated profile.

📍 Be wary of profiles with very few personal details or photographs that appear unusually perfect, overly polished, or professionally generated.

📍 Pay attention if the person’s stories keep changing or if they give vague or inconsistent answers to simple questions.

📍 Treat it as a warning sign if they avoid live video calls, refuse to meet in person, or make excuses to avoid interacting with your family.

Story continues below this ad

📍 Be cautious if someone insists on moving the conversation to WhatsApp or another private messaging app very early in the interaction.

📍 Consider it a major red flag if they ask for money, gifts, personal information, or introduce investment opportunities after only a short period of acquaintance. Common excuses include emergencies, customs charges, visa issues, or medical expenses.

📍 In the age of generative AI, don’t rely solely on photographs, identity documents, or even video calls to verify someone’s identity. Trust only after independently verifying their background through reliable sources.

📍 If something feels unusual or too good to be true, trust your instincts and avoid making emotional or financial decisions based solely on online interactions.

Story continues below this ad

What to do if you become a victim

📌 Immediately stop communicating with the scammer and do not send any more money.

📌 Preserve all evidence, including chat records, screenshots, payment receipts, mobile numbers, email IDs, and profile links.

📌 Report the incident as soon as possible by calling the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 or filing a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Early reporting improves the chances of timely intervention and may help limit financial losses.

📌 Report the fake profile to the matrimonial platform as well, so it can be removed and help protect other users from falling victim to similar scams.

Story continues below this ad

“Users should take time to verify a profile before building trust with someone online. If anything feels unusual or makes you uncomfortable, stop the conversation and report the profile to the platform immediately,” Rangwala added.

Rangwala says AI-powered security tools help platforms identify fraud before it causes harm. “Identity verification checks whether the documents and personal details belong to a real person. Liveness detection confirms that the user is physically present during verification and not using a photo, video, or deepfake. Behavioural analytics studies how people use a platform and can detect unusual actions that may indicate fraud. Device intelligence looks at the device being used and can identify suspicious activity, such as multiple accounts being operated from the same phone or computer,” he explained.

“When these technologies work together, they create stronger protection than any single security check. They help platforms stop fake accounts early, reduce fraud, and provide a safer experience for genuine users,” he added.

What is unfolding on matrimonial platforms today may be a preview of the next phase of digital fraud. As AI-powered synthetic identities spread across sectors, the challenge will be to ensure that advances in verification technology keep pace with advances in deception.

The Safe Side

As the world evolves, the digital landscape does too, bringing new opportunities—and new risks. Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, exploiting vulnerabilities to their advantage. In our special feature series, we delve into the latest cybercrime trends and provide practical tips to help you stay informed, secure, and vigilant online.