Greater Noida: Man duped of ₹51L in online App scam

Noida man, 31, duped of ₹51 lakh via Telegram scam promising crypto profits; case registered at cybercrime branch after he realized the fraud.

Noida: A 31-year-old man was duped of ₹51 lakh on the pretext of doing some tasks on Telegram and make a profit, officers said on Sunday, adding that the incident took place between January 18 and 22, and a case of cheating has now been registered at the cybercrime branch police station.

On January 18, the victim received a WhatsApp message from an unidentified mobile number. The woman identified herself as Pallavi and asked him to complete some tasks to earn a profit. (Representational image)

Police said the victim, who wished not to be named, resides with his family in Sector 16B in Greater Noida West and works at a private firm.

In his police complaint, he alleged, “On January 18, I received a WhatsApp message from an unidentified mobile number. The woman identified herself as Pallavi and asked me to complete some tasks to earn a profit.”

“I was asked to deposit between ₹2,000 to 8,000. When I agreed, she added me to a Telegram group, where I received information about cryptocurrency. I was then directed to complete some tasks,” reads the FIR.

The victim transferred ₹51,63,277 in 32 transactions between January 18 and 22. “When his portfolio reflected a profit of ₹60 lakh and he tried to withdraw the amount, the fraudsters asked him to transfer more funds, citing various charges,” said Ranjeet Kumar Singh, SHO, cybercrime branch.

“He realised he had fallen into a trap of cyber criminals as he discussed the tasks with a friend,” the officer added.

On Friday, based on his complaint, a case under Sections 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by personation) of the BNS and the IT Act was registered at the cybercrime branch police station. Further probe is on, officers said.