Navi Mumbai: A cyber gang has cheated a 68-year-old retired civil engineer from Nerul of Rs 4 crore by luring him with promises of high returns on gold trading investments. The Navi Mumbai Cyber Police have registered a case against unidentified cyber criminals and launched an investigation into the fraud.
Initial Trust Built
According to the police, the victim, identified as Muralidharan, was contacted by the cyber gang on Telegram on February 3, 2025, and was offered lucrative returns through gold trading. After he showed interest, the accused persuaded him to register on a trading link and initially invest Rs 25,000. Fake profits were displayed on a fraudulent website, and when the victim successfully withdrew Rs 75,000, his trust in the scheme increased.
Encouraged by the apparent returns, the victim began investing larger sums. The cyber gang maintained continuous contact with him through multiple Telegram IDs and a fake website, showing inflated profits. Under various pretexts such as income tax, exchange service fees, and penalty charges, the accused forced him to deposit money into different bank accounts. Between February and November 2025, the victim transferred a total amount of Rs 4 crore and Rs 23,000.
Fresh Demand Raised
Later, the cyber criminals demanded an additional Rs 60 lakh, claiming that the victim’s credit history had declined. When he refused and sought more information about the company, he received evasive answers. Despite repeatedly requesting to withdraw his money, the accused insisted that he would be allowed to do so only after paying the additional amount.
Realising that he had been cheated, the victim lodged a complaint on the NCCRP portal and approached the Cyber Police Station on January 22. Based on his complaint, the Navi Mumbai Cyber Police registered a case against unknown persons under Sections 318(4), 319(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.
Police Investigation On
“The accused created fake trading platforms and used multiple Telegram accounts to trap the victim by showing false profits. We are tracing the bank accounts and digital footprints of the cyber gang,” said an officer of the Navi Mumbai Cyber Police.
The police have urged citizens not to click on investment links shared by unknown persons on Telegram or WhatsApp, to verify the authenticity of institutions before investing in schemes promising high returns, and to immediately contact the helpline number 1930 in case of cyber fraud. Further investigation is underway.
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