In a recent development, the cyber cell police have apprehended three individuals, one hailing from Rajasthan and two from Punjab, on charges of swindling Rs 7.3 lakh from an IT company employee in a cyber fraud case. The complainant, a resident of south Mumbai, reported that he was enticed into a purported part-time job via a WhatsApp message on December 12. The fraudulent scheme involved watching movies, providing ratings, and earning money.
Details of fraud
The victim initially received Rs 150 in his account after rating a movie 10/10, following which he was directed to join a Telegram group. Subsequently, he was assigned tasks, required to pay Rs 200 for four tasks, and received Rs 150 for each completed task along with a refund of his initial investment. As the tasks escalated, the complainant joined another Telegram group, purchasing pre-paid tasks. While showing a profit of Rs 800 initially, the situation took a turn when he sought the return of his investment and profits but received nothing in return.
Having lost a total of Rs 7.3 lakh, the victim lodged a complaint, leading to the arrest of three suspects. The arrested individuals include a 19-year-old ITI student from Rajasthan, a 38-year-old fruit seller, and a 29-year-old cycle seller from Punjab. Investigating the money trail, police discovered that Rs 1.5 lakh was transferred to the account of the 19-year-old suspect and Rs 1.35 lakh to an individual in Punjab engaged in cryptocurrency trading.
Further scrutiny revealed that the Punjab account holder had allowed others to use his account for cryptocurrency transactions, believing the funds transferred were profits from trading. Two additional suspects involved in buying and selling cryptocurrency were arrested, while the account holder in Punjab has been issued a notice to join the investigation. The police are now focused on apprehending the individual who initially contacted the complainant and others involved in the fund transfers. Ongoing investigations aim to uncover any connections between the Rajasthan and Punjab suspects.
Further investigation underway
"As our probe continues, we are working to trace the individual who initiated contact with the complainant and those responsible for the money transfers. Our efforts are ongoing," stated a police official. Authorities are diligently pursuing leads to establish links between the arrested parties and ascertain the extent of their involvement in the elaborate cyber fraud operation.
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