A 68-year-old Lake Gardens resident, who once worked as an interpreter with Scotland Yard, was allegedly duped of over Rs 23 lakh by an “American” who she met online and had promised to marry her.

The woman has told Calcutta police in a complaint that she was single and never realised she was falling into the trap of the man she had befriended in July while playing an online word game, Wordfeud. The man, who promised to take her to New York and marry her there, had introduced himself as an employee of an oil company in the US.

The complainant told investigators that the man sounded “very friendly and nice” and the two continued chatting for a few days before they ended up exchanging their WhatsApp numbers.

The woman, who had stayed in London for over two decades where she was with the London Metropolitan Police, told the police she never suspected anything because the man appeared to be “very gentle and polite”. He showered her with love and affection and would not listen when she kept telling him that he was much younger than her, she told the police.

“The man sent me his pictures and told me he was 51. I now realise that I was definitely not speaking to the man in the picture,” she told Metro on Thursday. “I had lodged the complaint on November 5. Till date I have not heard anything from Lalbazar.”

During their long chat sessions on WhatsApp calls, the man told the woman that he had an Indian wife and a daughter and that both of them had died in a car crash five years ago. He also spoke about how he would now have to bring up his two grandchildren.

“I was quite upset, never realising he was playing with my emotions,” the woman said on Thursday.

As the chats and conversations followed, the man told the woman he wanted to marry her at a ceremony in New York and that he was arranging for the her visa.

A few days later, the man allegedly told the woman that he was going to the Gulf of Mexico on a two-week assignment and followed it up by sending pictures of Mexico to win over her trust. Then came the calls for money, she said.

The man called her and said his vessel had met with a fire accident and sought Rs 25 lakh. He said he would return the money once he was back on shore. The man even gave her a couple of accounts where the money could be sent to in India and after some of the amount started flowing in, sounded very happy. He even said he would return to New York soon and return the money.

The woman told the police she ended up paying over Rs 23 lakh in separate instalments between August 13 and September 16 before it dawned on her there was something fishy.

“In case of such a fire, international aid agencies usually come to the rescue. It can’t be that boarders would remain stuck for days,” she said. “I then lodged a complaint.”

The police said they had started checking the bank details of the account where the money was deposited in India. “It appears that a gang was at work. This gang seems to be active in India and the US,” said an officer of the cyber police station in Lalbazar. 68-year-old Lake Gardens resident, who once worked as an interpreter with Scotland Yard, was allegedly duped of over Rs 23 lakh by an “American” who she met online and had promised to marry her.

The woman has told Calcutta police in a complaint that she was single and never realised she was falling into the trap of the man she had befriended in July while playing an online word game, Wordfeud. The man, who promised to take her to New York and marry her there, had introduced himself as an employee of an oil company in the US.

The complainant told investigators that the man sounded “very friendly and nice” and the two continued chatting for a few days before they ended up exchanging their WhatsApp numbers.

The woman, who had stayed in London for over two decades where she was with the London Metropolitan Police, told the police she never suspected anything because the man appeared to be “very gentle and polite”. He showered her with love and affection and would not listen when she kept telling him that he was much younger than her, she told the police.

“The man sent me his pictures and told me he was 51. I now realise that I was definitely not speaking to the man in the picture,” she told Metro on Thursday. “I had lodged the complaint on November 5. Till date I have not heard anything from Lalbazar.”

During their long chat sessions on WhatsApp calls, the man told the woman that he had an Indian wife and a daughter and that both of them had died in a car crash five years ago. He also spoke about how he would now have to bring up his two grandchildren.

“I was quite upset, never realising he was playing with my emotions,” the woman said on Thursday.

As the chats and conversations followed, the man told the woman he wanted to marry her at a ceremony in New York and that he was arranging for the her visa.

A few days later, the man allegedly told the woman that he was going to the Gulf of Mexico on a two-week assignment and followed it up by sending pictures of Mexico to win over her trust. Then came the calls for money, she said.

The man called her and said his vessel had met with a fire accident and sought Rs 25 lakh. He said he would return the money once he was back on shore. The man even gave her a couple of accounts where the money could be sent to in India and after some of the amount started flowing in, sounded very happy. He even said he would return to New York soon and return the money.

The woman told the police she ended up paying over Rs 23 lakh in separate instalments between August 13 and September 16 before it dawned on her there was something fishy.

“In case of such a fire, international aid agencies usually come to the rescue. It can’t be that boarders would remain stuck for days,” she said. “I then lodged a complaint.”

The police said they had started checking the bank details of the account where the money was deposited in India. “It appears that a gang was at work. This gang seems to be active in India and the US,” said an officer of the cyber police station in Lalbazar.