The cyber police in Chandigarh have registered a case against unidentified individuals for allegedly duping a 23-year-old city resident of Rs 5.5 lakh under the pretext of investment in online digital currency.
How the Scam Unfolded
In his complaint, Shubham Kumar Goyal, a resident of Sector 45, stated that on May 24, he received a message on Telegram from a woman identifying herself as Kanchan Bansal, claiming to be from a digital marketing agency. She offered him work involving hotel ratings, promising earnings of Rs 3,500 per day.
Initially, she shared links for rating hotels, for which Goyal received Rs 160 as payment. Subsequently, he was assigned more online tasks that involved reviews and ratings.
Investment in Digital Currency
On May 27, the woman asked Goyal to invest in digital currency and directed him to make payments via a QR code. She later shared multiple UPI IDs and account numbers, to which he allegedly transferred a total of Rs 5,50,142 through his own accounts as well as those of his friends and mother.
Out of the total amount, Rs 2,000 was returned on May 27. When Goyal demanded the remaining money, he was instructed to follow a withdrawal process. However, his attempt to withdraw Rs 16,800 failed, and he was then informed that his account had been frozen due to an error and the money would not be returned.
Police Action
Realizing he had been cheated, Goyal approached the cyber police station in Sector 17 and provided transaction details. After verification, a case was registered against unknown persons. Police are currently analyzing the transactions to trace the accused.
This incident highlights the growing threat of cyber frauds involving digital currencies and the importance of verifying investment opportunities before transferring money.
