Customs fraud: Online romance with ‘marine engineer’ costs woman 68k
Times of India | 17 January 2026
Kolkata: What began as a promising online romance ended in a calculated cyber fraud for a 34-year-old Lake Town woman, who was duped of Rs 68,500 by a man she met on a dating app after he spun an elaborate story of him flying to India from the UK to meet her and then being stranded at the Delhi airport with "confiscated" luggage.
The woman told police that the man, who introduced himself as Michael Fernandez, claimed to be a London-based marine engineer. After weeks of regular chats and long phone calls, he won her trust, even convincing her parents of his genuineness. He shared multiple photographs of himself in marine uniform, helicopter sorties and what appeared to be his journey to India.
According to the complaint, on Dec 27, Fernandez told her he was flying to Kolkata via Delhi to meet her. That morning, she received a call from an unknown number, with the caller claiming to be from Delhi Customs and alleging that Fernandez's luggage had been held up because it contained expensive gift items. A payment was demanded for its release.
The woman said Fernandez pleaded for help, claiming he knew no one else in India and was short of Indian currency. "He promised to return the money after reaching Kolkata," she said. Trusting him, she transferred Rs 28,500 from her bank account. Later that evening, she borrowed Rs 40,000 from her mother and transferred the amount as well. Soon after the transfers, Fernandez became unreachable. The next morning, he contacted her again, claiming Customs officials were demanding Rs 35,000 more. Suspecting foul play, the woman asked for receipts of the earlier payments. When none was produced, she stopped responding to the calls.
It took her a few more days to realise she had been conned. After searching social media platforms and online fraud alerts, she approached the Bidhannagar cyber crime police station on Thursday and lodged a formal complaint. The complainant submitted multiple phone numbers allegedly used by the fraudsters along with bank account details and identity documents shared with her during the transactions. Police said these details are being verified.
Officers at Bidhannagar police said such ‘Customs seizure' and ‘international traveller' scams were on the rise, with fraudsters exploiting fear, urgency and emotional trust built online. "Customs authorities do not demand payments over phone calls or through UPI transfers. Any such call should be treated as a red flag," an officer said.