₹75L scam: Man dupes victims via antique coin ads, held

Victims lured with promise of high returns, then asked to pay fees under tax heads; police recovered phone and SIM used in fraud.

A 37-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly defrauding people by offering money in return for old and antique currencies and taking money from them in the name of taxes and other charges, police said.

Accused part of larger gang targeting users online; victims asked to share coin photos before being duped through staged payments. (File photo)

According to police, the accused Samaydeen is a resident of Rajasthan’s Tijara and was apprehended on March 10 by Gurugram police.

The arrest followed a complaint by a woman who alleged that she had been cheated of several lakh rupees after she came across an advertisement on social media, claiming that old coins and special currency notes could fetch high prices. After contacting the number provided in the advertisement, she was told she can get ₹75 lakh fro her coins.

“Once the victim showed interest, the accused demanded multiple payments under the pretext of registration fees, GST, income tax, and other charges. She was persuaded to transfer money to different bank accounts over a period of time,” an officer said on Tuesday.

During interrogation, Samaydeen revealed that he was part of a larger gang that systematically targeted individuals through social media advertisements. The group would ask targets to share photographs of old coins or notes, quote inflated prices, and then extract money under various charges.

A mobile phone and SIM card used in the offence have been recovered from his possession. He was produced before a court on March 11 and remanded to three days of police custody. Following the completion of the remand, he was sent to judicial custody on March 14.

Officials said efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest other members of the racket and to trace the money trail.