Choose a marriage bureau the way you would choose a family doctor. Visit its office, meet the person who will handle your son or daughter’s file, and ask for written terms before paying anything. A genuine bureau will give you an agreement and an invoice in the company’s name, take payment only into the company’s bank account, and share your details with another family only after you agree. Avoid anyone who pressures you to pay the same day, promises a guaranteed match, or asks you to pay into an individual’s account or UPI ID. And if a “prospective match” ever asks for money, treat it as a scam.
Does the bureau have a real office you can visit?
Start here, because it filters out a lot of trouble. A real bureau has a fixed address, and you should be able to walk in during working hours and meet someone. Go once before you pay. Look at whether it is a working office with staff, files and a landline or published number.
If you live in another city, a video call is a reasonable first step. Even then, ask for the full office address and check that it matches the address on the bureau’s own website. Be careful with anyone who only works through a mobile number and a social media page and avoids every request to meet.
Will you get a written agreement and an invoice in the company’s name?
Ask for the terms in writing before you pay. The agreement should say what the fee covers, how long the membership runs, whether there is any success fee, whether GST is included, and the refund policy.
The invoice should carry the company’s registered name and address, and the amount should match what you paid. If someone says “we’ll send the bill later” or offers a lower price “without a bill”, walk away. A payment without paperwork leaves you with nothing to point to if something goes wrong.
How will your son or daughter’s profile be shared, and with whose permission?
Your child’s biodata, photos and phone number are personal. Ask the bureau exactly how they share profiles. A careful bureau speaks to the other family first and sends a profile only after both sides agree to look further.
Be wary of a bureau that sends profiles to large groups, posts them openly, or gives out phone numbers on the first day. Ask directly, “Will our details go to any family without our permission?” The answer should be a clear no. You can read how profile sharing works step by step on our how it works page.
Who will actually be your matchmaker?
Some families meet a senior person at the first meeting and never hear from them again. Ask for the name of the person who will handle your file, how long they have been matchmaking, and how you will reach them. You should have one point of contact who knows your family’s preferences and follows up after every meeting.
It also helps to ask how proposals are chosen. A good matchmaker should be able to explain why a profile was shown to you. If kundli matters to your family, ask whether it is matched before the profile reaches you. Our kundli matching page explains what that usually involves.
Where should your money go?
Pay only into the company’s own bank account, in the company’s name. Before you pay by bank transfer or UPI, look at the account name on the screen. If it shows an individual’s name, stop and call the bureau on the number printed on its official website.
Never pay cash without a receipt. Never pay a “processing fee” to an employee’s personal account, and never pay someone who calls claiming to be from a bureau without first checking with the bureau directly. Fraudsters can borrow the name of a real, well-known bureau, so the name alone proves nothing.
What are the warning signs of a matrimony scam?
If you notice any of these, pause and check before you go further.
- Pressure to pay quickly. “Only today”, “last slot” or “the boy’s family is waiting” are pressure tactics.
- Guaranteed matches. No honest matchmaker can promise a marriage, or a marriage within a fixed time.
- Payment to a person. Requests to pay into an individual’s bank account or personal UPI ID.
- Profiles that look too perfect. Studio-style photos, a very high income, and a reluctance to video call or let families meet.
- A story that keeps changing. Details about job, city or family that shift from one call to the next.
- A prospective match who asks for money. The story may be a medical emergency, a parcel stuck in customs, a visa fee, or an “investment opportunity”. A genuine family does not ask for money before marriage.
- Moving the conversation away from families. Pressure to talk privately and keep parents out of it in the early stages.
Even with a good bureau, profile details come from the families themselves, so keep doing your own enquiries through relatives and people who know the other family.
What should you do if something feels wrong?
Stop all payments at once. Save chats, call logs, account numbers and screenshots. Call the bureau on its official number and tell them what happened. You can also report online fraud on the national cyber crime helpline 1930 or at cybercrime.gov.in, or visit your local police station. For anything legal beyond that, speak to a lawyer.
How we handle this at Pavitra Rishta
We have one office only, at 174, C.R. Avenue, Shyam Market Building, 6th Floor, Kolkata 700007, and no branches anywhere. Families in other cities and countries are served from Kolkata, and our legal name is Pavitra Rishta Matchmaking Services LLP. Your details are shared with another family only with your permission, and your Relationship Manager speaks to the other family first. If anyone asks you for payment in our name, call +91 93303 22220 before you pay.
If you would like to visit our office or talk through any doubt about a bureau, call us on +91 93303 22220, Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm IST. You can also schedule a call, and we call back every enquiry within 24 hours.
Questions families ask
How can I tell if a marriage bureau is genuine?
Visit its office in person, meet the person who will handle your file, and ask for written terms and an invoice in the company's name. Check that the phone number and address you were given match the ones on the bureau's own website. Pay only into the company's bank account. A genuine bureau is comfortable with all of these requests and does not hurry you.
A prospective match is asking my daughter for money. What should we do?
Stop all payments and do not send anything further, however urgent the story sounds. Save the chats, numbers and payment details. Inform the bureau that shared the profile using the number on its official website. You can also report it on the national cyber crime helpline 1930 or at cybercrime.gov.in. A genuine family does not ask for money before marriage.
Is it safe to share my son's biodata with a marriage bureau?
It is reasonable if the bureau tells you clearly how it will use it. Ask who will see the biodata, whether it will be sent only to families you approve, and if your phone number will be shared directly. Avoid bureaus that post full profiles with contact details openly or send them to large groups without asking you.
Should I pay a marriage bureau through UPI?
UPI itself is fine if the payment goes to the company's own account in its registered name. Before you pay, check the name that appears on the payment screen. If it shows an individual's name, stop and call the bureau on the number from its official website to confirm. Always ask for an invoice in the company's name.