A Ghatkopar based businessman has lodged a complaint with the Parksite police in Vikhroli against three members of a family for allegedly duping him to the tune of over Rs 2 crore on the pretext of promising him 20 to 30 per cent returns on investment.
The accused also told the victim that Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen accounts of the company in which the investment has been done and hence the victim is unable to get his money. However, when the victim visited the ED office, the ED officials told him no such account has been frozen by them.
According to the police, in 2019, one of the friends of the complainant had informed him about a company that invests money in the gold market and promised 20-30 per cent returns on investment.
Initially, the complainant had invested some amount in the scheme and gave his money to his friend who had promised returns to the victim.
From February 2019 till January 2021, the complainant had deposited Rs 2.53 crore in the bank account of his friend and his two family members. When the victim enquired with his friend about the returns, the accused told him that there would be a delay in repaying due to the lockdown impact.
"Later, the accused friend of the victim informed him that he had deposited money in the victim's bank account. However, he did not receive any intimation regarding this from his bank. On again confronting the accused, the latter said to the victim that ED has to freeze the account of the company in which the investment was done. The victim suspected something amiss, and on May 12 he visited the ED office where he was informed by the officials that no such account has been frozen by them. The victim then realised that he has been duped and lodged a complaint with the police on January 14," said a police officer.
ED had a few months ago issued an advisory stating that multiple instances have come to their notice where certain "unscrupulous" persons (conman) have misused ED's name with the motive of cheating or extortion.
