E-Paper
Man loses over ₹50 L to cyber fraud
In November 2020, the complainant came across an online advertisement about “good” investment opportunities. When the complainant uploaded his mobile number on the site the next day he received a call from a woman identifying herself as Chitra Muthuraman, product manager from a Chennai-based company Hijau Associates.
Mumbai: Mumbai. A 28-year-old employee of a Software solutions company lost ₹50.86 lakh to cyber frauds. The cyber police have registered a case regarding the same.
In November 2020, the complainant came across an online advertisement about “good” investment opportunities. When the complainant uploaded his mobile number on the site the next day he received a call from a woman identifying herself as Chitra Muthuraman, product manager from a Chennai-based company Hijau Associates.
She informed the complainant that her employer was in the business of agricultural products such as seeds, fertilisers, and other products. She told him that investing in the business can earn a person good returns, a police source said.
She also informed the complainant that her company has business ties with a Nigerian company that helps it earn 15% profit by investment in agricultural products, the source added.
Chitra shared the complainant’s mobile number with the vice president of Hijau Associates; Selvam Swamiappan, who called the complainant on the same day and further explained the scheme.
Swamiappan told the complainant that his company was reputed and if he feels like he is not making a profit then he could also withdraw his investment within three months, the complaint said.
Swamiappan and Chitra told the complainant that on the 8th and 15th day of every month, he would get back his 15% fortnightly profit on the investments made by him, the complaint said.
Convinced, the complainant initially invested ₹1 lakh on December 30, 2020, and received a receipt for the same.
On January 10, 2021, he received ₹16,000 as the profit earned on the investment.
The complainant trusted the company and gradually started investing more money. Since he was getting promised returns, he went for investing big amounts and took ₹40 lakh loans. Chitra only helped the complainant with a contact of an agent for the loan, the complainant told the police.
The complainant gradually invested ₹76.11 lakh till June 2022. Against this, he received returns of ₹25.24 lakh. But as the loan company started calling him for money, he contacted Chitra and Swamiappan demanding his remaining ₹50.86 lakh.
They first made him wait for a month, later they told him that if he wants his money back then he would have to pay some more money. They also threatened him with a police complaint if he fails to comply.
The complainant then realised that he was being duped and approached the cyber police.
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