We all hear stories about scams and think, “That won’t happen to me.” But sometimes, it’s not just about being naive, it’s about being too trusting in the wrong moment.
Balamurugan, an autorickshaw driver from Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, wasn’t expecting anything unusual when he accepted Kiruba’s Facebook friend request.
She seemed polite and friendly and slowly began sharing more about her life.
Over weeks of casual chats, Kiruba opened up about her struggles. One day, her messages turned more serious:
“Anna, I got a job offer abroad. It’s a huge opportunity… but I don’t have the money to travel or settle initially. I don’t know what to do.”
Moved by her story, Balamurugan felt compelled to help. It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing.
He genuinely believed he was supporting someone who just needed a push to build a better future.
So, he began sending money, first in small amounts, and then larger transfers as Kiruba told him of new hurdles: visa issues, accommodation advances, flight bookings.
It eventually added up to a staggering ₹33.7 lakh.
To arrange this kind of money, Balamurugan had to sell ancestral property. It wasn’t easy, but he did it out of goodwill, believing he was doing something noble.
Then came the silence.
No calls and replies. Kiruba had vanished.
He waited. Messaged again. Still nothing.
When the Real Picture Emerged
Balamurugan eventually reported the case.
What the police uncovered wasn’t just a story of one person being dishonest. It was something bigger—and worse.
Kiruba wasn’t working alone.
She was operating this entire scam along with her husband, G. Balamurugan, a man who had already been booked for a cybercrime case in Thanjavur earlier.
This wasn’t a random, one-off incident. It was a planned con job executed by a couple together.
Let that sink in. A husband-wife duo ran this emotional manipulation as a racket.
While Kiruba was building emotional trust with the victim online, her husband was working behind the scenes, receiving money through various accounts, coordinating the transfers, and staying completely hidden from view.
They were finally tracked down in Idukki, Kerala.
The police arrested both of them and brought them to Tamil Nadu. Kiruba was remanded in Madurai Central Jail, and her husband was sent to Perurani District Jail.
The Anatomy of This Scam
This wasn’t your usual “click here to win an iPhone” scam.
This was calculated, personal, and painfully emotional. The couple didn’t need any fancy tech or phishing links.
They used something far more powerful—human emotion.
What made it effective was that it didn’t look like a scam. No pressure. No unrealistic promises. Just a woman, struggling, opening up to someone she called “Anna.”
And the most chilling part? The couple didn’t do this by accident. They were methodical. They had done this before. And they likely planned to do it again.
So What Can We Learn From This?
The internet is full of people we don’t know, even when they seem genuine. Scammers are evolving.
They don’t always talk like con artists. Sometimes, they just talk like friends.
Here’s what this story teaches us:
- Emotional scams are real. Don’t send money to people online unless you truly know them in real life.
- Never make huge financial sacrifices, like selling property or taking loans, based on online conversations.
- Scammers often work in pairs or small teams. Just because you’re talking to one person doesn’t mean they’re acting alone.
- If something doesn’t sit right, pause. Talk to someone you trust before making big decisions.
- And above all, report. Balamurugan got justice because he reported it. Many don’t.
This isn’t just a story about one man losing money. It’s a wake-up call about how modern scams are run, emotionally, slowly, and sometimes by people who seem completely normal.
Stay cautious. Stay aware. And don’t hesitate to talk about it, because silence is what these scammers count on the most.
