Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 02 May 2024
In a distressing turn of events, a staff of the Indian Coast Guard, stationed at a ship in Port Blair, has fallen prey to a cunning online financial fraud scheme, losing a substantial sum of money in the process.
The victim lodged a written complaint addressed to the Station House Officer of the Cyber Crime Police Station, Port Blair, detailing the fraudulent activities that led to the loss of his hard-earned funds.
The unfortunate incident occurred on April 8, 2024. At around 12:15 PM, while browsing the internet, the victim stumbled upon online trading. Intrigued, he clicked on a link that directed him to a Telegram chat page.
What started as a simple exchange of greetings quickly spiralled into a fraudulent scheme, as the victim found himself ensnared in a web of deceit. The individual in the telegram chat initiated a conversation with the victim, soliciting personal information such as his name, age, and gender. With a false sense of trust established, the victim was led through the process of placing orders, investing money, and linking accounts for withdrawal procedures.
The perpetrator provided the victim with a link to an application, which purported to facilitate trading activities. Acting on the instructions provided, the victim invested a total of Rs. 23,000/- in multiple transactions, believing it to be a legitimate investment opportunity.
However, the plot thickened on April 9, 2024, when the victim was directed to another Telegram link and instructed to contact a purported senior mentor for further trading guidance and withdrawal of funds. Trusting the advice given, the victim invested an additional Rs. 8,900, bringing his total investment to Rs. 31,900/-.
Alarm bells rang when the victim inquired about the withdrawal process and the return of his funds, only to be met with demands for further investment. It was at this moment that the victim realised he had been duped by an unknown fraudster masquerading as a trading expert.
In a bid to seek justice, the victim promptly filed a complaint through the National Crime Reporting Portal, seeking redress for the financial fraud perpetrated against him.