Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): A 75-year-old cardboard businessman was allegedly ensnared of Rs 1.41 crore by a woman he befriended on Facebook, who posed as a UK-based citizen and lured him into investing in online trading.
Identifying herself as a citizen of the United Kingdom, the woman, named Shivani Agarwal, befriended the businessman and convinced him to invest in online trading.
After gaining the businessman’s trust through regular online interaction on Facebook, she persuaded him to invest large sums in an online trading platform. Believing her claims, the businessman transferred money over a period of time.
When the man fell for the trap and lost Rs 1.41 crore, the fake foreign woman deleted her Facebook account, "Shivani Agarwal." A team of cyber experts is now gathering details from the account.
Further investigation into the Rs 1.41 crore swindled from the businessman under the pretext of online trading revealed that the amount was transferred through 74 transactions to over 100 accounts in more than 20 cities across 12 states of the country.
The states involved in these transactions include Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Delhi, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar.
Cyber police are now scrutinising transactions and bank accounts involving amounts of Rs 10 lakh or more to identify key suspects and trace the money trail.
Trader duped of ₹40 lakh
Earlier on February 2, a trader In Bhopal was allegedly duped of Rs 40 lakh in the name of investment and partnership in a company. The accused opened an office in a mall in Misrod area to gain confidence and disappeared after collecting the cash in the name of investment.
