Hyderabad: A 45-year-old software employee from Hyderabad was scammed by fraudsters posing as representatives of a reputed US-based financial company.
Using fake platforms and misleading information, they lured the victim into investing in shares with promises of high returns. They pretended to have ties with well-known international financial firms and gave ‘names’ of some of them to win his trust and lure him into the trap.
The techie was initially contacted by the scammers who convinced him to purchase shares in bulk. They offered stocks at low prices, claiming partnerships with the US company. The scammers created a WhatsApp group that included several other individuals. They encouraged the victim to register on a fake online platform and made him believe that he was earning heavy profits when they flashed fake earned numbers.
After the victim invested Rs 8,41,000, the scammers demanded a 30 per cent commission fee before allowing him to withdraw the earnings. They insisted that the fee be paid separately, outside the withdrawal amount, and blocked his account when he refused.
The scammers even provided a fake bank account details to complete the transactions. The downloaded fake app was ‘not available’.
Cybercrime officials have been cautioning about scams involving such investment offers.
