Greater Noida West: 56-year-old man lured into trading by woman, loses ₹1.24 cr to fraud

In his police complaint, the victim said that the woman befriended him through a WhatsApp message, which she claimed, was mistakenly sent on his number

Noida: A 56-year-old man in Greater Noida West was duped of ₹1.24 crore after being lured by an unidentified woman into trading, officials said on Tuesday, adding that he kept investing from January to November 28 before realising that it was sham.

From February 1 to November 11, the victim transferred ₹1.24 crore in multiple payments. (Representational image)

The victim is a senior Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) official, said Vivek Ranjan Rai, assistant commissioner of police (ACP), Cybercrime.

In his police complaint, the victim said that the woman befriended him through a WhatsApp message, which she claimed, was mistakenly sent on his number.

“Gradually, she introduced herself as Divya Sharma, an entrepreneur having a firm in Dadri West, Mumbai, with a house in Juhu West. Later on, we used to talk about our official work at times, and she asked about my earnings,” the victim stated in his FIR

During their conversations, she talked of a trading platform to earn extra and insisted him to invest despite his reluctance, said police.

“By sending screenshots of the registration process, the woman helped him, and he transferred ₹40,000 on January 28 and received a profit of ₹ 48,000 two days later,” said an officer urging anonymity.

From February 1 to November 11, the victim transferred ₹1.24 crore in multiple payments. When he tried to withdraw his profit, the fraudster demanded 30 per cent of it. Despite repeated attempts when he failed to withdraw a single penny, the victim desperately tried to approach the woman till November 28, but failed. Eventually, he realised it was a cyber fraud, police said.

On this complaint, a case was registered at the Cybercrime Branch police station.

A case under sections 318(4) (cheating) and 319(2) (cheating by personation) of the BNS and the IT Act was registered at the Cybercrime Branch police station on Monday and further investigation is underway, said ACP Rai.