Nagpur businessman loses Rs 25.79 lakh to fake investment app
Cyber fraudsters lured a 55-year-old Manish Nagar businessman into a bogus WhatsApp investment scheme promising high returns
A 55-year-old businessman living in Nagpur's Manish Nagar was allegedly cheated of Rs 25,79,276 by cyber fraudsters. The accused are said to have lured him with the promise of high returns through a fake investment app.
According to police, the complaint states that the fraudsters first contacted the businessman on WhatsApp. They sent him investment-related advertisements and messages promising good returns. After gradually winning his trust, the accused added him to a fake WhatsApp group and persuaded him to invest money.
The WhatsApp group was named "MOFSL VIP 814", where messages about investments, purported profits and other members' transactions were shared. Police say the accused then allegedly got the businessman to download an app called "MOFSL Pro". The app showed his invested amount and the returns it was supposedly earning, convincing him that his money was continuously making profit.
Believing the scheme to be genuine, the businessman transferred money multiple times from his HDFC Bank account through RTGS and NEFT to bank accounts provided by the accused. Across these transactions, a total of Rs 25,79,276 was allegedly transferred.
When the businessman later tried to withdraw his investment, he was unable to do so. The accused allegedly gave no satisfactory response, after which he suspected he had fallen victim to cyber fraud.
The victim then approached the cyber police, where a case was registered on September 22. Police have filed the case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to cheating, identity fraud and forgery, along with applicable provisions of the Information Technology Act.
Investigators are examining the mobile numbers, the WhatsApp group, the fake investment app and the bank accounts allegedly used by the accused. The transaction trail of the accounts into which the money was transferred is also being probed.
No arrests have been made in the case so far. Police are working to identify the accused and to freeze or recover the defrauded amount. They have also advised people to thoroughly verify online investment offers before downloading unknown apps or transferring money to accounts suggested by strangers.
