Mumbai: A 52-year-old Thane resident lost nearly Rs 54 lakh in a cryptocurrency investment fraud after falling prey to scammers.
Social Media Connection Leads to Scam
The complainant, employed in a senior position at a private firm in Colaba, received a friend request from an unknown woman on Facebook on March 5. After accepting, the two began chatting, and she lured him with promises of huge profits through crypto trading. She shared a trading platform link and asked him to create a login ID.
Multiple Transactions Drain Account
Between April 10 and June 11, the complainant transferred about Rs54 lakh through more than two dozen online transactions to different beneficiary accounts. On the platform, his profile reflected over 91,000 USDT, including profit.
Scammers Demand More Fees
However, when he sought withdrawal, he was asked to pay more money under pretexts like taxes, hosting fees, and green channel charges. On refusing, the scammers persisted with demands, raising his suspicion.
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Case Registered, Investigation Underway
Realising he was duped, the complainant approached the cyber-crime portal. Based on his inputs, including phone numbers and transaction details, Thane police registered a case on Friday under sections 66C (identity theft) and 66D (cheating by personation using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act. Police said investigations are underway to trace the fraudsters.
