'A year after we planned to get married, my partner ghosted me. Then a friend uncovered the truth.'

Vidhisha was visiting India when she first met Aarav* at the wedding of a mutual friend. Initially, their connection wasn't romantic, but they got along well and exchanged phone numbers, before Vidhisha returned to Australia.

Over the next couple of years, they kept in touch, checking in with each other now and again. But when Aarav's father passed away, and he moved to America, he began to lean on Vidhisha as he grieved.

"Initially, it was just as friends, as I felt he was grieving and needed someone to talk to," Vidhisha tells Mamamia.

Watch: Relationship red flags. Article continues after the video.

They caught up in person a couple of times in India, but for the most part, their communication was from a distance, via video calls mostly. Over time, their communication became more frequent, and more intense.

"However, by 2019, our conversations became more regular, and we developed a deeper connection," she says.

By 2021, Aarav said he had feelings for Vidhisha, and wanted a future together. He was working as a flying instructor, he said, and had applied for a green card, which was in progress.

"He couldn't travel to India, so he invited me to visit him in Miami. Given that I already had a US visitor visa, I agreed to take that step."

Aarav was a confident, ambitious person with strong family values. He was charming, well-spoken, and seemed genuinely invested in building a future together.

"He made efforts to stay connected not just with me but also with my family — speaking to my parents and my sisters in Australia and Dubai, which made me trust him even more," says Vidhisha.

"I also admired his persistence in keeping the relationship alive despite the long distance. He spoke about future plans and marriage, which aligned with my stage in life as a 30-year-old woman facing societal expectations to settle down."

In 2021, Vidhisha flew to Miami to be with Aarav. She was in love.

"I was deeply in love," she says. "I had taken a huge step by travelling across the world for him and had invested emotionally, mentally, and financially in our future together. I truly believed that we were building something real."

Initially, everything felt magical.

"He picked me up from the airport, took me to the new house he had bought, and we started living together as a couple.

"We travelled around Miami, had deep conversations, and built what I thought was a solid foundation for a future together."

For a while, everything was perfect, but then, the cracks started to show.

"He wasn't working, and I was handling most expenses," says Vidhisha. "He reassured me it was temporary, but the longer I stayed, the more dependent he became on me financially."

The couple had discussed marriage. Aarav even told Vidhisha's parents of his intentions to marry their daughter once his green card was processed. But Vidhisha wasn't comfortable with the way things were, so she told him there would be no wedding until he had a stable job.

"At one point, when his visa process seemed uncertain, I suggested alternative plans — either getting married and settling in India or moving to Australia together. He agreed but insisted on waiting another year before making a decision."

By the following year, something felt off. Aarav's green card application got rejected, he told her, and he became distant and cold.

"When I asked for a copy of the rejection letter, he refused to provide it. His family also started avoiding my calls and messages."

A year later, Aarav was gone.

"He completely ghosted me. No messages, no calls, no explanation. Just a sudden disappearance from my life."

Vidhisha tried desperately to reach him – calls, emails, messages. But received no response.

"I also contacted his mother, sister, and friends, but they all ignored me."

She confided in a friend back in Australia, who helped her investigate her partner's background.

It turned out, he was living in the US illegally and was married to an American woman. Aarav had scammed multiple women, using them for money, sex, and marriage-based green card applications. He'd been married twice, and, with the help of his family, had scammed several women before ghosting them.

"I tried to confront him, but he refused to respond. Instead of addressing my concerns, his family in India resorted to threats, intimidating my family rather than acknowledging the truth."

Vidhisha reported Aarav to US authorities, but the legal process was long and draining.

"Love blinded me."

"I was devastated. The betrayal cut deep because I had trusted him with my heart, my finances, and my future. The emotional and mental toll was unbearable, and I struggled with depression for months."

Despite being able to identify some red flags in hindsight, being the victim of such an elaborate and cruel scam is not something Vidhisha thought could ever happen to her.

"Never. I had always been cautious and independent, but love blinded me. I never imagined that someone could manipulate me so thoroughly."

She's not alone.  A new report from Norton, shows that more than 40 per cent of Australians navigating the online dating world are falling victim to scams, with victims' financial losses averaging $11,914.

The 2025 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report – Online Dating showed the most common types of scams are romance scams (47 per cent), catfishing (29 per cent), fake dating sites (26 per cent), visa or immigration scams (25 per cent) and sugar daddy/sugar baby scams (19 per cent).

According to Mark Gorrie, Managing Director APAC for Norton, romance scams remain one of the most common and devastating forms of online fraud.

"These scams prey on people's emotions, making it all the more important to stay alert and question anything that feels off."

For Vidhisha, who says she's been profoundly impacted by Aarav's deception — a man she thought was "her soulmate", the lessons have been extensive.

She says she's learnt that love is important, but blind trust can be dangerous.

"Look for red flags early — if something feels off, don't ignore it," she says.

"Emotional and financial independence is crucial — never invest in a relationship financially without a clear, mutual commitment.

"Always research your partner's background, especially if marriage and relocation are involved."

Vidhisha wrote a book about, not only her experience, but the experiences of others who have fallen victim to emotional manipulation and fraud.

In writing, Love Games: Decoding Modern Romance, Vidhasha aimed to raise awareness of an issue that remains surrounded by stigma.

"No one deserves to go through what I did. I was lucky, I dodged a bullet and found out everything before falling into a bigger trap.

"Healing takes time — but speaking out can help others avoid similar fates."

* Name has been changed.

Feature image: Supplied.