A 30-year-old medical student was duped of Rs 13.6 lakh after being tricked by fraudsters posing as a doctor and customs officer in an elaborate scam that began through a matrimonial website.

The victim, who connected with a man claiming to be Dr Mohammed Aayan via Shaadi.com, was told he was flying in from Los Angeles to meet her family for marriage. The man claimed he was carrying 40 million dollars, which required clearance from customs at the Delhi airport, according to the report by The New Indian Express.

Soon after, a woman identifying herself as "Neeru Singh," a customs official, contacted the student. Between June 25 and July 7, the victim received several calls and emails, purportedly from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and other authorities, requesting that she pay various charges, including “cost of fund tax” and “external affairs tax.”

The family transferred Rs 13.6 lakh before realising they had been duped. A case has been registered, and further investigation is ongoing.

In other news...

Coimbatore district administration invited applications for the provision of educational scholarships and reading grants to students with disabilities. In a release, a scheme to provide educational scholarships to students with disabilities studying through the Department of Students/Disabled Persons Welfare is being implemented.

Under this scheme, educational scholarships are provided from the First standard to graduation, post-graduation, diploma, ITI (Industrial Training Institute) and research studies, and a scheme to provide reading scholarships to visually impaired students studying in the 9th standard and above is also being implemented, stated a report by The New Indian Express.

In order to receive educational assistance from differently-abled students studying in Coimbatore district in the academic year 2025-2026 under this scheme, they can apply online to the service center along with relevant certificates.

Furthermore, under the Reader's Scholarship Scheme, students with disabilities can complete applications and submit them to the District Disabled Welfare Office along with the necessary certificates.