I lost $200,000 and my girlfriend after Nirav Modi sold me fake diamond rings, claims Canadian man

New Delhi: A Canadian national has claimed that he was duped by embattled diamantaire Nirav Modi who allegedly sold him fake diamond rings that cost him US$200,000. The man claimed that the fraud resulted in his wedding getting called off which pushed him into depression. Modi is wanted in India for allegedly committing a multi-crore banking fraud. 

As per a report by South China Morning Post, the aggrieved person – Paul Alfonso – had no clue of Modi’s involvement in a US$2 billion fraud at Punjab National Bank in India and bought two rings from the controversial jeweller in Hong Kong in April this year to propose his girlfriend. The two rings turned out to be fake, much to the utter disappointment of the couple. 

In the report, Alfonso recounted how he met Modi in 2012 at an event and later dined together, forming a “good connection.”  Alfonso, who is the chief executive of a payment processing company said that he admired Modi and “looked up to him.”  

Years later, in April 2018, when he decided to propose his girlfriend, Alfonso reached out to Modi via email asking him for a “special” engagement ring at a budget of US$100,000. In response to this, Modi offered him a “perfect” 3.2-carat round brilliant diamond cut, D colour, VVS1 – a high-quality grade and colourless stone at US $120,000. Alfonso said that he was totally clueless about the charges of financial irregularities against Modi. 

In fact, at the time of the transaction, Modi reportedly wrote to Alfonso saying, “Thank you for thinking of me when you’re making one of the most meaningful purchases in any man’s life.” Incidentally, as Alfonso’s girlfriend preferred another design, Modi offered them another ring - a 2.5-carat oval diamond worth



US$80,000. 

After Alfonso transferred the money for both rings to a Hong Kong account, Modi’s assistant Ari allegedly gave him the rings in June. However, the Canadian national was informed that the invoice and authenticity certificates would be provided to him soon. Alfonso ended up proposing to his girlfriend with both the rings, with his girlfriend accepting his proposal. 

The couple decided to insure the rings however the certificates had not arrived, and hence Alfonso sent reminder emails to Modi for the same, though the jeweller assured him that the certificates were on the way. 

The truth about the ‘diamond’ rings was finally revealed in August when Alfonso's girlfriend took the rings to an appraiser who confirmed that the diamonds were fake. “When she told me, I was like ‘That’s impossible. I spent US$200,000 on those rings. There’s no way they are fake. It’s Nirav we are talking about,” the report quoted Alfonso as saying. 

Soon after this revelation, his fiancé broke up with him, Alfonso reportedly, recalling that she had said, ‘You are a pretty smart guy, how did you let someone scam you out of US$200,000 without making sure the transaction was legitimate?’” 

Heartbreak was followed by depression for the man who told the daily that after that he simply could not “function.” As per the report, Alfonso wrote an angry mail to Modi saying, “Do you have any idea what kind of pain you’ve cost me and my now ex-fiancée? … You’ve completely ruined such a wonderful occasion for me and her. You’ve ruined my life.”

According to the report, the Canadian national has now registered an unlimited civil lawsuit against Modi with the Superior Court of California, suing him for US$4.2 million dollars. The case will be heard in January next year.