Internet bride was not all she seemed

A Londoner who flew 5,000 miles to meet a potential bride he found on the internet was shocked to discover that she had started life as a man.

The 39-year-old had gone to Delhi after meeting the woman he met on a matrimonial web site which is used by more than two million people.

He had logged on to shaadi.com, which has successfully matched up thousands of men and women.

Like any dating service, the user fills out their details, lists likes and dislikes and posts a picture for other members to view online.

Then the east London man flew to Delhi to meet the woman he had wooed online and who he expected to become his bride. But he was surprisedto find that the person he met bore little resemblance to the beautiful woman he had seen on his computer and spoken to on numerous long-distance telephone calls.

In fact, it quickly emerged, the person he met had not been born a woman.

The retail worker, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "I was in front of a girl that did not look like one and sounded very different from the person I had been spending two to three hours every week speaking to.

"When I confronted her with pictures that she had posted on the site and how it looked nothing like her, she told me the truth.

"The photos were of her cousin, the phone calls had been made by her sister and she had been operated on to become a woman."

Despite the disappointment, he took a picture to remind him of his nightmare experience.

He says that it is the deception that concerns him, and insists he is accepting of others' sexuality.

He said: "She has a right to express her sexuality as she wants, but by lying about herself, a seed of doubt about all the other profiles has been placed in my mind.

"I think there should be greater checks on the members and more detailed information made available." The site currently offers a free service to those wishing to subscribe to the online marriage bureau. It specialises in matching people of certain faiths, such as Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus, with suitable partners.

A spokesman for Shaadi.com said they do check information contained in users' profiles.

A new feature called a "Shaadi Seal" has also been introduced highlighting members whose profiles have been verified.

Despite his humiliating experience, the victim has logged on again to meet prospective partners.

He said: "At the end of the day, I just want to meet the girl of my dreams."