The scripts we see
| Script | How it usually goes | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Let’s move to WhatsApp or imo" | Asks for your number or another app early on; avoids adding a guardian | Keep talking on KobulKabin; report pressure |
| The professional abroad who can never meet | Says they are a doctor or engineer overseas, on an oil rig or in the military; the video is always "broken" | Ask for a family video call; do not go further without one |
| Emergency money | A mother’s hospital bill, stuck at an airport, a visa or ticket fee; asks for bKash, Nagad, wire transfer or gift cards | Do not send money. Report them |
| The gift stuck at customs | "I sent you gold or an iPhone" — then a fake "customs officer" asks for duty | Never pay a duty or "release fee" |
| Crypto or investment | Builds trust, shows "profits", asks you to invest, then demands "withdrawal fees" | Any investment pitch in a chat is a warning sign |
| The visa or "foreign groom" lure | Promises a spouse visa or green card and asks for lawyer or "processing" fees; pushes a quick nikah without family | A visa promise plus a money request is a scam |
| Image blackmail (sextortion) | Persuades you to share private photos or a private video call, then threatens to send them to your family or make them "viral" | Do not pay; keep evidence, report it and tell the police |
| Fake matchmaker or fake "staff" | Pretends to be KobulKabin staff or a ghotok and asks for a "registration" or "verification" fee | We never ask for money in a chat or to a personal bKash number |
| Dowry and gift pressure | After an interest is accepted, the other family demands cash, gold or furniture | Dowry demands are a crime in Bangladesh; report them |
| The hidden marriage | Profile says never married, but talk reveals a spouse or plans for a "second marriage" | Report: "Already married" |
| Isolation | "Don’t tell your parents", "come alone", "delete our chats" | A serious warning sign; tell your family |
What KobulKabin does
- Nobody can message you until you both accept.
- In the first 48 hours of a conversation, the app warns you if someone asks for a number, an email or money.
- Links stay blocked in chat until you are both ID verified.
- Messages from accounts that are not yet verified are labelled.
- If we ban an account for fraud, we may tell the people who were talking to it.
If it has happened to you
- Stop sending money, however hard they push or promise it is "the last time".
- Keep screenshots and payment receipts.
- Report the profile in the app.
- Tell your bank or mobile wallet (bKash, Nagad) straight away.
- Report it: Report Fraud in the UK, the FTC and FBI IC3 in the US, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre in Canada, 999 in an emergency in Bangladesh. See get help now.
- Do not feel ashamed. These are professional criminals; the fault is theirs, not yours.
More detail: marriage scams: spotting fake profiles.