A significant cyber fraud incident has been reported in Jharkhand, where an individual lost approximately 3 crore rupees (2.98 crore) to a scam promising high returns through metal trading. The fraud was orchestrated via the Telegram app, with victims being lured into making investments. The victim reported the incident to the cybercrime police station under the Jharkhand CID on July 28th. The subsequent investigation by the CID led to the arrest of Dinesh Kumar, a cyber criminal from Jamshedpur, and the seizure of various devices including mobile phones and laptops. The cyber fraud was carried out using advanced methods.
The perpetrators set up a link on the Global India site on Telegram. Clicking the link led to the opening of an online account on the Chicago Board of Options Exchange. The scam involved promising lucrative returns on metal trading, which resulted in the fraudulent transfer of approximately 3 crore rupees (2.98 crore) from different accounts. Information from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal revealed that the accused’s bank account had already received 1.15 crore rupees in a single day, and had two previous cases of investment fraud totaling 3.29 crore rupees registered against it in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand.
The investigation is ongoing to identify the entire network, including other bank accounts and the individuals behind the crime. The Jharkhand CID has issued a public warning, urging individuals to avoid clicking on investment links or offers promising doubled returns on social media. People are also advised against registering on unknown portals or apps, and against sending money to UPI IDs or bank accounts shared through social media. The public is encouraged to use only government-authorized applications and to report any cyber fraud immediately by calling the cyber helpline number 1930 or filing a complaint on www.cybercrime.gov.in.
Prior to this incident, a retired individual in Ranchi was targeted in a similar scam. A cyber criminal impersonated an officer from a central investigation agency, threatened the victim with arrest in a 300 crore fake scam and money laundering case, and defrauded the victim of approximately 50 lakh rupees. The accused, Ravi Hasmukhlal Godhaniya, a 27-year-old from Junagadh, Gujarat, was arrested in connection with that case.