A 50-year-old architect from Pune's Kothrud area was defrauded of a staggering Rs 19 lakh in March last year by cyber criminals who lured her with promises of high returns on online forex trading. An FIR was registered at the Kothrud police station on Wednesday, bringing the elaborate scam to light.
The Lure of Social Media and False Promises
The victim's ordeal began in February last year when she watched reels about gold forex trading on a popular social media platform. Intrigued by the potential profits, she joined a group of investors on a mobile messenger application, as revealed by a police officer. The group, run by the fraudsters, provided her with training in gold forex trading, building a facade of legitimacy.
How the Investment Scam Unfolded
Following the 'training,' the woman was persuaded to transfer Rs 2.5 lakh to open a gold forex trading account. Between March 1 and 9 last year, she proceeded to transfer a total of Rs 19 lakh to various bank account numbers provided by the scammers. The scheme took a convincing turn when the woman could see in her trading account that she had supposedly earned a massive profit of Rs 1 crore on her investments.
The Reality Check and Police Complaint
The illusion shattered when she attempted to withdraw her money. The criminals demanded a 10% commission for the withdrawal. This demand raised red flags, and the woman finally realized she was being duped. She stopped responding to the fraudsters and subsequently filed a detailed complaint application with the Pune cyber police, initiating the formal investigation.
This case highlights a growing trend of sophisticated online investment frauds targeting individuals through social media. Authorities urge citizens to exercise extreme caution with unsolicited investment advice online and to verify the credentials of any trading platform before transferring funds.
