Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A man was duped of nearly Rs 79 lakh by cyber fraudsters on pretext of investment in crypto currency. The Cyber Crime Branch has registered a case and initiated an investigation, suspecting an international connection.
The complainant, Parag Jain, a resident of Mandakini Colony, lodged a complaint claiming that in January he came into contact with a woman named Ananya Sharma through social media, who claimed to be based in London. She later introduced him to her uncle Neeraj Sharma. The duo convinced Jain to invest in cryptocurrency, promising high returns in a short period.
Between January 16 and January 23, Jain initially transferred Rs 7.2 lakh to multiple bank accounts. Lured of profits, he transferred a total of Rs 82.8 lakh. To gain his trust, the accused returned Rs 3.83 lakh to his account, creating the illusion of profit and encouraging further investment.
The fraudsters also directed Jain to a fake investment platform, where his account falsely showed a balance of Rs 387000. They remained in constant contact via WhatsApp, persuading him to invest more. When Jain attempted to withdraw funds, he was asked to pay an additional Rs 25 lakh as a penalty. Jain then realised that he has been duped and approached police.
