Panaji: The cybercrime cell of Goa police has arrested a 33-year-old Bengaluru-based businessman for allegedly cheating a 45-year-old housewife from Margao of over Rs 33 lakh by luring her with promises of high returns through a fake share trading investment scheme.
The cybercrime police station registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by the victim, who alleged that she was induced to invest in a platform called Social Venture Capitalist AI Trading.
SP (cybercrime) Raju Raut Dessai said the accused and his associates contacted the complainant through WhatsApp, posing as representatives of the trading platform and promising lucrative returns on investments.
“After being convinced, the complainant registered on the platform and began investing. The accused then guided her through trading activities while falsely assuring high returns,” Dessai said.
Believing the promises, the woman transferred more than Rs 33 lakh through multiple transactions into various bank accounts controlled by the accused and his associates, police said.
Following a technical investigation, the suspect was traced to Bengaluru. A Goa police team travelled to Karnataka and arrested Mohammad Rafeez, a B-Tech graduate from Puttur who is currently residing in Bengaluru. Police said the investigation revealed that Rafeez received about Rs 8 lakh in his bank account. Part of the money was later withdrawn in cash and through cheques, while the remaining amount was routed to multiple accounts linked to his associates.
Further analysis showed that the bank account used in the fraud was also linked to two other cybercrime cases in Goa and Tamil Nadu involving a cumulative fraud amount of Rs 33 lakh, police said.
You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Goa | Silver Rate in Goa | Bank Holidays in Goa | Public Holidays in Goa | Petrol Price in Goa
Stay updated with the latest Goa news. Download the TOI App.
