Navi Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai police announced on Thursday that a 42-year-old entrepreneur was duped of Rs 2.74 crore by cyber scammers who convinced him to join an online gaming site, as reported by news agency PTI.
A case related to this matter was reported on May 20, according to a cyber crime cell official. According to the complainant residing in the Koparkhairane area, the scammers convinced him to deposit Rs 3,24,84,526 into a purported gaming platform from December 2022 to April 2025, assuring him of enticing rewards for joining online games.
The businessman from Navi Mumbai was instructed to transfer the funds into various bank accounts. When the Navi Mumbai entrepreneur did not receive the promised prize money, he understood that something was amiss. The official stated that he was able to take out Rs 50 lakh, but the remaining funds were diverted. He also reached out to the gaming app company, but without success, the official stated, noting that additional investigation was ongoing.
Comparable Internet Fraud Incident
A 59-year-old former telecom worker from Kharghar was deceived by an online trading fraud, resulting in a loss exceeding Rs 1.1 crore from April 9 to May 14. The scam began when he joined a deceptive WhatsApp group that claimed to be stock market specialists, run by impersonators providing phony investment guidance.
After making an initial investment of Rs 1 lakh and taking a minor withdrawal, the victim was coerced into sending larger amounts to different accounts. Fraudsters showcased fake profit dashboards and asserted fictitious IPO allocations. Understanding he had been tricked, he reported the event on May 17. The police later filed a case for deception and fraud according to applicable laws.
