Software professional loses Rs 28 lakh in crypto investment fraud in Pune | Pune News
PUNE: A 45-year-old woman techie was allegedly duped of Rs 28.3 lakh by online fraudsters between September last year and March on the pretext of handsome returns on cryptocurrency investments.
The cyber crime branch of the Pune police is investigating the case.
“The victim’s phone number was added to a group on an internet-based messaging app where members discussed different types of cryptocurrencies and the profits derived from them. This interested the complainant, who then contacted the frausters on the messaging app,” inspector Kumar Ghadge of the cyber police told TOI.
“The scamsters then asked the complainant to download an online crytocurrency exchange on her phone and asked her to buy cryptocurrencies from it. She did as she was instructed by the fraudsters and bought cryptocurrency from them for a couple of months,” he added.
According to the police inspector, the complainant also paid ‘taxes and fees’ to the fraudsters expecting a rich dividend on her investments.
“In the process, she ended up transferring a total of Rs28.3 lakh to them, bit by bit. Upon requesting returns, she was asked to pay even more money. The victim exhausted her savings and availed a personal loan from a bank to ensure investment in cryptocurrency,” Ghadge said.
“However, the scamsters kept demanding more money from her, making the complainant suspicious. She then approached us,” he added.
The police said that they are examining the details of the exchange which the woman used to buy cryptocurrency and are trying to establish a money trail.
“It is likely that the fraudsters are based and operate out of a foreign country,” Ghadge said.
The cyber crime branch of the Pune police is investigating the case.
“The victim’s phone number was added to a group on an internet-based messaging app where members discussed different types of cryptocurrencies and the profits derived from them. This interested the complainant, who then contacted the frausters on the messaging app,” inspector Kumar Ghadge of the cyber police told TOI.
“The scamsters then asked the complainant to download an online crytocurrency exchange on her phone and asked her to buy cryptocurrencies from it. She did as she was instructed by the fraudsters and bought cryptocurrency from them for a couple of months,” he added.
According to the police inspector, the complainant also paid ‘taxes and fees’ to the fraudsters expecting a rich dividend on her investments.
“In the process, she ended up transferring a total of Rs28.3 lakh to them, bit by bit. Upon requesting returns, she was asked to pay even more money. The victim exhausted her savings and availed a personal loan from a bank to ensure investment in cryptocurrency,” Ghadge said.
“However, the scamsters kept demanding more money from her, making the complainant suspicious. She then approached us,” he added.
The police said that they are examining the details of the exchange which the woman used to buy cryptocurrency and are trying to establish a money trail.
“It is likely that the fraudsters are based and operate out of a foreign country,” Ghadge said.
