E-Paper
Cyber swindlers promise big returns, dupe Hisar man of ₹8.9 lakh
Bank employee among three arrested in the cyber fraud; police advise people to immediately report to cyber helpline 1930 if they fall prey to online fraudsters.
Cyber criminals are increasingly targeting unsuspecting people through instant messaging service Telegram to perpetrate frauds.
Additional director general of police (ADGP), cybercrime, OP Singh said that in one such case, a Hisar resident fell prey to a sophisticated scam, losing a staggering ₹8.91 lakh in a cryptocurrency investment scheme. However, action by the Haryana police led to the arrest of the fraudsters.
Singh said the victim, Bajrang, was lured into the scam through a Telegram channel promising high returns on cryptocurrency investments. Once hooked, the fraudsters, operating under the alias “Captain America”, guided Bajrang to transfer funds into bogus bank accounts. These accounts were procured by an accomplice, Sahil, a bank employee, who sold them to the fraudsters for ₹25,000 each.
When Bajrang realised he had been scammed, he immediately reported the incident to the Cyber Helpline 1930.
“We promptly directed the cyber nodal thana to investigate the matter. A joint team comprising the state nodal cyber thana and the Haryana Cyber Crime Coordination Centre began meticulously tracing the fraudulent transactions. Their efforts led to the arrest of three individuals: Chirag, son of Ved, resident of Hisar, the primary perpetrator who received the funds from Bajrang, Sahil, son of Satish, resident of Hisar, and the bank employee who sold the bogus accounts,” he said.
The ADGP said that people should not join unknown Telegram groups or invest on mere promises of high returns. Before investing, individuals should thoroughly research and verify the legitimacy of the platform or scheme. He said if one suspects that one is a victim of cyber fraud, one should not hesitate to report immediately. The Cyber Helpline (1930) is available 24X7.
