In a swift cyber crime operation, the Dewas police in Madhya Pradesh have successfully cracked a cryptocurrency investment fraud case, arresting five individuals and recovering the defrauded sum of Rs 1.04 lakh. The police also seized six mobile phones, bringing the total value of recovered evidence to approximately Rs 2.33 lakh.
The Deceptive WhatsApp Scheme
The case came to light when Chetansingh Solanki, a 45-year-old resident of Anand Vihar Colony in Dewas, filed a formal complaint on December 6. Solanki, originally from Ismail Khedi village in Sehore district, reported that between November 2 and November 5, unknown persons contacted him through WhatsApp. The fraudsters presented an enticing offer, promising him substantial profits through cryptocurrency investments.
Trusting their claims, Solanki transferred money in several instalments, ultimately losing Rs 1.04 lakh to the elaborate scam. The accused had effectively hidden their identities during the entire process, operating under a veil of digital anonymity.
Swift Police Action and Digital Trail
Acting on the complaint, Industrial Area Station In-charge Inspector Shashikant Chaurasiya constituted a special investigation team. The officers employed technical analysis to follow the digital money trail left by the transactions. This meticulous cyber investigation led the team directly to the suspects.
Within just 13 days of the complaint being filed, the police had identified and located the accused. In a crucial move, law enforcement also used the technical data to freeze the bank accounts where the victim's money had been transferred, preventing further movement of the funds.
Confession and Court Proceedings
During interrogation, the arrested individuals confessed to their crime. They admitted to concealing their real identities and specifically targeting the complainant with false assurances of high returns from cryptocurrency investments. Following their arrest, the five accused were presented before a local court, which granted police remand for further questioning.
The police have identified the arrested men as:
- Bablu Makwana alias Ajay, 30, from Dhablaveni village, living in Ujjain's Tirupati Platinum Colony.
- Lakhan Panwar, 32, from Malikhedi village, currently residing on Maksi Road, Ujjain.
- Rahul Tomar, 30, from Peerjhalar village, now at Vivekanand Colony, Ujjain.
- Areeb Ali Khan alias Ali, 22, a resident of Parwana Nagar, Ujjain.
- Alwaheed Khan alias Rumi, 27, also from Parwana Nagar, Ujjain.
From the accused, the police successfully recovered the entire defrauded amount of Rs 1.04 lakh in cash. Additionally, they confiscated six Android mobile phones, estimated to be worth around Rs 1.29 lakh, which were used in the commission of the crime.
A Warning to Digital Investors
This case highlights the increasing trend of financial fraud through social media and messaging platforms like WhatsApp. Scammers are exploiting the public's growing interest in digital assets like cryptocurrency by offering unrealistic returns. The Dewas police's effective use of technical evidence and rapid response serves as a significant deterrent and a reminder for citizens to exercise extreme caution with unsolicited investment offers online. Always verify the legitimacy of any scheme before transferring funds.
