Gurugram police have arrested a man accused of defrauding an Italian woman of 900 euros by posing as an AI film creator and promising marriage, highlighting the growing threat of online romance scams.
Key Points
- Gurugram police arrested Akhil Maurya for allegedly defrauding an Italian woman, Paola Bertolini, of 900 euros.
- Maurya posed as an AI film creator and promised marriage to Bertolini, convincing her to transfer money for a supposed AI video project.
- Bertolini transferred 450 euros twice via Western Union before Maurya ceased communication.
- The victim travelled from Italy to Gurugram to file a complaint, leading to Maurya's arrest by the cyber team.
- Maurya, a BSc graduate who lost his job, admitted to conning the woman out of greed.
A Gurugram-based man accused of cheating an Italian woman of 900 euros (around Rs 98,000) on the pretext of marriage was arrested here, police said on Friday.
The man, Akhil Maurya (36), a Gurugram resident belonging to Uttar Pradesh, identified himself as an AI film creator and deceived the woman, Paola Bertolini, into transferring 450 euros twice by claiming he needed money, and then cut off contact with her.
How The Fraud Unfolded
According to the police, Paola contacted Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Cyber Crime, Gaurav Phogat through Instagram in July 2026, informing him about the incident.
She then arrived in Gurugram from Italy on September 28 and met ACP Phogat and filed a complaint, following which an FIR was registered.
In her complaint, Paola claimed that she became acquainted with Akhil Maurya through Instagram.
Promises Of Marriage And Money
Akhil introduced himself as an AI film creator and eventually became emotionally close to her. After promising to marry her, Akhil told her that he needed money for an AI video creation project.
Accordingly, the woman sent 450 euros through Western Union on August 4 and another 450 euros on September 10, police said.
Investigation And Arrest
During an investigation, the cyber team traced the accused to Sector 17 in Gurugram last night, and he was subsequently arrested.
During interrogation, Akhil, a resident of Azamgarh district's Bahadurpur village, revealed that he is a BSc graduate and was working in technical support at a private firm. However, he lost his job in July 2025, police said.
Akhil later came into contact with the Italian woman through Instagram and, driven by greed, decided to con her by promising to marry her and got the money transferred, they added.
Police Action And Victim's Gratitude
"The accused received the amount from the Italian woman through Western Union and got the said amount transferred to his bank account through Muthoot Finance in Gurugram. After deduction of bank charges, an amount of Rs 67,297 was received in the accused's bank account. We are questioning the accused," ACP Phogat said.
Paola expressed gratitude for the promptness, sensitivity, conduct, and professional working style of Gurugram Police, officials said.
