Love turns to fraud: Couple guilty of fake marriage ad scam

By Bhagya Silva

Colombo, Oct. 28 (Daily Mirror) - A married couple who had defrauded a man of nearly Rs. 300,000 by publishing a false newspaper advertisement claiming that they were seeking a groom for their daughter, pleaded guilty before the Colombo Chief Magistrate today.

Presenting facts to court, the Pettah Police informed that the suspects had placed a fraudulent marriage proposal advertisement in a newspaper, stating that they were looking for a suitable partner for their daughter.

Police further reported that the advertisement included the mobile number and other personal details of the suspect wife, falsely identifying her as the daughter mentioned in the notice.

After seeing the advertisement, the complainant had contacted the given number and developed a relationship with the suspect woman. She had thereafter obtained nearly Rs. 300,000 from him and later avoided further contact. Realising that he had been deceived, the victim had lodged a complaint with the police.

Following their arrest and production before court, the suspects pleaded guilty to the offence and expressed willingness to return the defrauded amount.

The Magistrate thereafter released the suspects on bail and ordered that the case be called again on January 1 for sentencing.