Fake bride scam in India: She married 8 men, conned millions, caught before her 9th wedding

A woman in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, accused of marrying eight men and extorting lakhs of rupees from them, was arrested just as she was about to marry for the ninth time, NDTV reported, citing police sources.

The accused has been identified as Sameera Fatima, a teacher by profession. According to officials, she was meeting her next potential victim when she was apprehended at a local tea shop on July 29. Fatima had reportedly posed as a helpless divorcee with a child to gain the trust of her targets.

Targeted wealthy married men via social media

Investigators told NDTV that she used matrimonial websites and Facebook to identify and lure wealthy, married men. She allegedly contacted them via WhatsApp or social media, sharing emotional stories to win sympathy.

₹5 million from one victim, ₹1.5 million from another

One of her former husbands alleged that Fatima extorted ₹5 million from one man and ₹1.5 million from another, through both cash and bank transfers. Police also suspect that some of her victims included senior Reserve Bank officials.

Part of a gang, faked pregnancy to dodge arrest

Preliminary investigations suggest that Fatima was part of a larger extortion racket. In one earlier case, she reportedly evaded arrest by falsely claiming she was pregnant.

The police have registered a case and further investigations are ongoing.