Thane: Two separate cases of online financial fraud totalling nearly Rs 6 lakh have come to light from Ambernath and Badlapur, where fraudsters duped victims by sending fake WhatsApp links mimicking government and bank services. Both victims have filed complaints, and police are investigating the scams.
In the first incident, a man in his 40s from Ambernath East received a WhatsApp message with the logo of Union Bank of India while he was at work. The message prompted him to activate the bank’s mobile app. Trusting the link, he installed the app, only to later discover it was fake. Soon after, a total of Rs 4,98,993 was siphoned off from his bank account. Upon realising the fraud, he approached the Shivajinagar police, where a case has now been registered, as reported by Loksatta.
In a second case from Badlapur, a man in his 30s received a fake Transport Department challan via WhatsApp. Acting on the message, he ended up transferring Rs 1,89,000 through Google Pay. Realising he had been scammed, he filed a police complaint. In this case, the accused have been identified as Raja Ram, Shabaz Khan, and Deepak Kumar Shaw.
The local police have appealed to citizens to remain vigilant and not to trust links received via WhatsApp or unknown sources. Fraudsters are increasingly using fake app links and forged government documents to mislead people and gain unauthorised access to their bank accounts.
52-Year-Old Man Duped of ₹54 Lakh in Cryptocurrency Investment Scam; Case Registered
In another cyber news incident, A 52-year-old resident of Thane has reportedly lost Rs 54 lakh in a cryptocurrency investment scam, after falling victim to fraudsters who lured him through social media. The complainant, who works in a senior role at a private firm in Colaba, received a friend request from an unknown woman on Facebook on March 5. After he accepted the request, they began chatting regularly. During the course of their interaction, the woman introduced him to a cryptocurrency trading platform, promising high returns on investments.
She sent him a link to the platform and instructed him to create a login ID. Between April 10 and June 11, the victim transferred nearly Rs 54 lakh in over two dozen online transactions to multiple beneficiary accounts. On the trading platform, his profile showed a balance of more than 91,000 USDT, including supposed profits.
