Kolkata Trader Loses Rs 23 Lakh in Elaborate WhatsApp Investment Scam
A resident of Chowbaga in Kolkata has fallen victim to a sophisticated cybercrime, allegedly losing nearly Rs 23 lakh in an investment scam orchestrated through a social media messaging platform. The victim, identified as a local trader, filed a formal complaint at the Anandapur Police Station, detailing how he was systematically defrauded over several weeks.
How the WhatsApp Scam Unfolded
The incident reportedly began on February 23, when the victim was added to a WhatsApp group titled "U-3 India Wealth Strategy Discussion Group." Investigators believe the group administrators, operating from multiple mobile numbers including those with international prefixes, lured the complainant with promises of exceptionally high-yield returns on investments.
According to the police complaint, the victim was persuaded to transfer a total of Rs 22,98,000 to various bank accounts between March 3 and March 25. These transactions were conducted through multiple digital payment methods, including:
- IMPS (Immediate Payment Service)
- RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement)
- UPI (Unified Payments Interface)
- NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer)
The Fraud Comes to Light
The elaborate deception was only discovered when the complainant attempted to withdraw a portion of his purported earnings. Upon realizing he was completely unable to access the funds or the promised profits, he immediately approached the authorities.
The Anandapur Police have initiated a formal case based on the trader's complaint. According to official sources, the case was registered on April 3 under specific sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including:
- Section 316(2)
- Section 318(4)
- Section 61(2)
This incident highlights the growing sophistication of cybercriminals who exploit social media platforms to target unsuspecting individuals with fraudulent investment schemes. Police are investigating the international connections suggested by the phone number prefixes and tracing the multiple bank accounts used to receive the illicit funds.
