Jaipur: Fraudsters posing as employees of a matrimonial agency allegedly blackmailed a 90-year-old man for nearly three years, extorting around Rs 9 lakh by threatening to implicate him in false cases and defame him, police said.Police said the case was registered at Mahesh Nagar police station after the victim’s 79-year-old son lodged a complaint. Police said the elderly man was allegedly targeted in 2022 after receiving a call from people claiming to represent from matchmaking.According to the complaint, the callers gradually gained the victim’s trust before allegedly threatening to implicate him in fabricated cases and tarnish his reputation unless he paid them money. Police said the accused continued to blackmail him over the next three years, allegedly forcing him to transfer around Rs 9 lakh through multiple transactions.The alleged fraud remained undiscovered until recently when the victim’s son approached his father seeking financial assistance. Police said the son became suspicious after noticing his father’s reluctance to discuss his bank account and repeatedly questioned him. The elderly man then allegedly disclosed that he had been paying money to unknown callers for years because of their threats.Investigators said the complainant subsequently examined his father’s bank account and found transactions amounting to nearly Rs 9 lakh, which were allegedly transferred to the accused over the three-year period.Police said the fraudsters had allegedly exploited the victim’s age and fear of social stigma to keep him from informing his family or approaching the authorities.A case has been registered, and investigators are examining bank transaction records, mobile phone numbers and other digital evidence to identify and trace the accused. Police said further investigation is underway.
