A married couple has pleaded guilty before the Colombo Chief Magistrate to defrauding a man of nearly Rs. 300,000 through a fake marriage advertisement.

According to the Pettah Police, the couple had placed a false newspaper ad claiming they were seeking a groom for their daughter. The advertisement contained the mobile number and personal details of the suspect wife, who was falsely presented as the daughter.

The complainant, responding to the ad, contacted the woman and developed a relationship with her. During this time, she obtained approximately Rs. 300,000 from him before cutting off communication. Upon realizing he had been deceived, the victim lodged a complaint with the police.

After their arrest, the couple admitted to the offence in court and agreed to return the defrauded amount. The Magistrate released them on bail and scheduled the case to be called again on 1st of January for sentencing.