Arranged gay marriage bureau scam

The Arranged Gay Marriage Bureau, which promises to help Indian gay men and lesbians find love, is accused by some of being a “malicious” scam. Thousands of LGBT+ Asians looking for love may have been deceived by a “manipulative” arranged marriage scam cashing in on marginalised communities. The Gay Arranged Marriage Bureau claims to be the first and only LGBT+ marriage service in India. Arranged marriages are somewhat common in South Asian cultures and India’s Arranged Gay Marriage Bureau is a popular choice for finding an appropriate match.

But Vice reporter Reeta Loi’s. Vice UK, a digital media and broadcasting company, in its latest documentary has exposed the arranged gay marriage scam that Urvi Shah, a Ahmedabad based woman, has been running for the last couple of years. Reeta Loi’s investigative documentary for VICE TV, Gay Marriage Scam, exposes a fraudulent match-making business that is monopolising on India’s LGBTQI+ communities’ search for love.

Articles See all. Latest posts by Sukhdeep Singh see all. However, over the course of the next few months, it became increasingly clear that she was being scammed. You can take an Indian out of India, but you cannot take India out of an Indian. Your email address will not be published. Shah responded that the agency was temporarily closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, and his refund — which had been promised over the phone before registration if the bureau was unable to find him a match within a year — was denied, according to Vikas.

After finding clients by calling out in various LGBTQ groups on social media and WhatsApp, NBC News interviewed five people who responded and were able to share proof of their registration with the bureau. The lucky ones reported receiving 15 to 20 profiles a year, and three of the clients said there were months-long gaps in communication, which Shah then tried to justify.

While the Arranged Gay Marriage Bureau has at least a handful of satisfied clients, a number of other clients complain of unprofessional behavior, including broken promises of providing a steady stream of matchmaking profiles, big gaps in communication and preferential service for those who are willing to pay extra. What she uncovers leaves her shocked. April 28th, Written By Gautam Mehra.

We have 36 couples living in, and 26 where partners are yet to move in together. When after almost a year, Reeta confronted Urvi, she initially feigned ignorance and appeared shocked, but later said sorry. Marriage is not legal here, but they get married for their own sake. And if this is something you choose to do, then you will be outed for it.

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Vikas, a year-old project manager for a utility company in Jalandhar, a city in the north Indian state of Punjab, had been looking for a same-sex romantic partner for several years with no luck. And this is the emotion which AGMseemed to have caught on to attract clients. So far, no one from AGM has volunteered to come forward and provide any evidence to prove their innocence or their authenticity.

Note: A previous version of the post erroneously mentioned Keith as a friend of Reeta.

A 'scam' or just unprofessional? India gay matchmaking service under fire

Return to Homepage. Solve the daily Crossword 25, people played the daily Crossword recently. Profile My News Sign Out. We can not guarantee to find partners. Shah responded that the agency was temporarily closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, and his refund — which had been promised over the phone before registration if the bureau was unable to find him a match within a year — was denied, according to Vikas.

All the work is done by your very-own matchmakers with whom you have direct contact with throughout the entire process. Keith came out to his parents when he was 19; he was asked to leave home before being brought back after three days on the assurance that he would not tell anyone about his sexual orientation.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Homosexuality is still taboo in most parts of India, and gay marriage is not legal. She promised Vice that she will put them in touch with people to validate her claims, but has never got back to them. In another video the man said he had signed up in January and was based out of Bangalore, while in the third, a woman claimed she signed up for service in Dec , and got married in During the two years he was registered with the service, Akarsh said he was matched with two people.