The police in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal apprehended Hasan Molla for his involvement in a cyber fraud case where a victim was deceived of Rs 3.35 crore through false promises of lucrative stock market investments. The victim, Ashish Kumar Ghora, fell prey to a WhatsApp group managed by the accused, which offered high returns on investments and guided on profitable stock market ventures. Ghora transferred the money as instructed but later discovered the fraud when he couldn’t withdraw it.
Hasan Molla, the accused, was captured after a thorough investigation by the Cyber Crime branch in South 24 Parganas district. The police disclosed that the fraudster used fake identities and logos of regulatory bodies like the Securities and Exchange Board of India and the US Securities and Exchange Commission to give an air of legitimacy to the scam. Additionally, forged documents were employed to win the victim’s trust, leading to the substantial financial loss.
The victim, realizing the deception, reported the incident to the Kolkata Police’s Cyber Crime branch. Investigations unveiled that a significant portion of the defrauded amount, Rs 22.5 lakh, was channeled to a bank account under the name of MS Masud Construction. Hasan Molla was taken into custody from the Bishnupur area of South 24 Parganas following a complaint by Ghora, who was misled into transferring the funds through illicit means. Authorities are now delving into the possibility of a broader network being involved in the fraudulent activities.
