Trichy: Two residents of Trichy have fallen victim to online fraud, losing a combined sum of more than Rs 13 lakh to unknown groups that lured them with promises of attractive returns on investments through mobile applications.
First Case: Investment Fraud via WhatsApp and Fake App
Lakshmi Narayanan, a 41-year-old resident of K K Nagar, was allegedly engaged in online trading. In March, he received a WhatsApp group call from a firm claiming to be ‘Motilal Oswal,’ offering online investment opportunities with promises of substantial profits. He was instructed by a person named Suraksha to download an app called ‘RIISE.’ Believing the assurances, Lakshmi Narayanan downloaded the RIISE app and invested Rs 7.1 lakh between March 10 and April 13. However, he did not receive any profits. Realizing he had been cheated, Lakshmi Narayanan lodged a complaint through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
Second Case: Facebook Ad Leads to Saree Purchase and Investment Scam
Sripriya, also 41, from Srirangam, came across a Facebook advertisement for ‘Sangeetha Silk’ in March and bought a saree online. Later, she was drawn into investing and transacted up to Rs 6.2 lakh from March 9 to April 16. When she did not receive any returns, she filed a complaint through NCRP.
Police Action and Legal Provisions
Trichy Cyber Crime Police registered two separate cases on Tuesday under Sections 318(4) and 319(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating with dishonest inducement of delivery of property and cheating by impersonation. Additionally, Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act was invoked for cheating by impersonation using computer resources. The investigation is currently in progress.
Authorities urge the public to exercise caution when approached with unsolicited investment offers and to verify the authenticity of any financial schemes before committing funds.
