Italy expat discovers ‘wife’ he married over phone is actually a young man
About six months ago, Italy-based expatriate Khorshed Ali, 48, became acquainted on Facebook with a woman named Sumaiya. After exchanging messages on Messenger app, they decided to get married. At one point, they completed the marriage over the phone. Later, when Khorshed wanted to see her face on a video call, Sumaiya repeatedly avoided appearing, citing various excuses.
At noon on Wednesday, when Khorshed made a video call to Sumaiya, it was answered by Shafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Lalpur Police Station in Natore. The OC told Khorshed that the person he had married believing her to be a woman was actually not a woman. He was a young man named Shanto Ali. Speaking in a feminine voice, he had allegedly deceived Khorshed Ali and taken money from him for months.
Khorshed claimed that over the past few months since the marriage, the young man had taken more than Tk 300,000 from him for living expenses and various other purposes. Whenever Khorshed asked to see Sumaiya’s face on a video call, the purported wife would say that the phone’s front camera was not working. She also kept herself hidden at different times, giving various excuses.
According to police, Shanto Ali and his father, Shahidul Islam, were arrested from their home in Gondobil village of Lalpur on Wednesday morning on allegations of fraud. The identity of the purported Sumaiya was revealed after they were detained.
When police showed Khorshed Ali Shanto Ali, who had used the name Sumaiya Akter, on a video call for the first time, Khorshed said, “I never imagined that such a fraudster could exist in this world. He should receive the maximum punishment.”
Police said 20-year-old Shanto Ali has no formal education but is skilled in using technology. He can use a special app on his mobile phone to speak in a female voice and exchange text messages.
Not only that, after the phone marriage, Khorshed Ali spoke several times with Shanto’s father, Shahidul Islam, believing him to be his father-in-law. He did not detect anything suspicious from their conversations either. According to police, Shahidul Islam knew about the deception and assisted his son in the fraud.
Police seized two mobile phones allegedly used in the fraud when they arrested Shanto and Shahidul on Wednesday morning. The phones contained extensive evidence of text-message exchanges with Khorshed Ali.
OC Shafiqul Islam, quoting Khorshed Ali, said Shanto Ali initially opened a Facebook account using photographs of a woman. He later became acquainted with the expatriate man on Messenger and began communicating with him. He also sent Khorshed three photographs of the woman whose images he had used on Facebook.
The OC said Shanto took nearly Tk 200,000 from Khorshed in a single day, claiming that he needed the money to buy land beside their home. He also took money by claiming to have been involved in an accident. In total, more than Tk 300,000 was allegedly taken from him.
A case has been filed against Shanto Ali and Shahidul Islam under the Cyber Security Act. They were produced before a court on Wednesday evening, which ordered that they be sent to jail.