Singaporean Woman jailed for cheating NRI on Internet for US $45,000

Singapore, May 22, 2007
Om Parkash Sharma

A married Singaporean NRI woman, Maliha Ramu, 36 was sentenced to six months' jail for duping a US, NRI, Bharani Indran, 32, software engineer for $45,000 online promises of marriage in 2004

Maliha Ramu met Bharani Indran online chatroom and began an online romantic relationship with him. She used her fake name and send him photographs of Bollywood actress, Gayatri Joshi. She continued keeping in touch with him regularly by emails and phone calls.

On Jan 19, 2005, Ramu told him that her mother had died and she needed $25,000 for funeral expenses very urgently. She also requested him postpond their marriage. Bharani trusted her and felt that he should help her in bad time.

On Feb 8, 2005, he transferred $15,400 and on March 4, another $10,000 to the name of her sister-in-law.

US, NRI, Bharani Indran became suspicious when she started demanding more and more money from him. He approached the police and explained the whole story. Maliha Ramu's husband had no idea about this drama she played until the police came to their apartment to arrest her in August 2006.

Rudy Marican, a Ramu's lawyer told the court that his client was a charity worker who used the money to help needy people.

She pleaded guilty in district court to two charges of cheating. It is also said that Maliha returned $36,000 to Bharani but it is not confirmed officially.