The Surat City Cyber Crime Cell apprehended a 29-year-old software engineer for his involvement in an online investment scam that defrauded a victim of over Rs 72.73 lakh through false promises of high returns from cryptocurrency trading. The accused, identified as Divyesh Patel, was captured after a technical probe into the matter. Patel, a software professional with a B.Tech degree in Electrical Engineering, currently resides in New Althan, Surat.
He hails from Akala village in Amreli district’s Lathi taluka. The fraud scheme initiated when the victim was contacted via Telegram by cyber criminals who directed them to a counterfeit trading website. The victim, enticed by the prospects of significant profits from cryptocurrency trading, transferred Rs 72,73,600 to various bank accounts provided by the fraudsters. Despite assurances, the victim did not receive any returns on the investment.
Upon reporting the incident through the cybercrime helpline, authorities initiated an investigation and filed a case at the Cyber Crime Police Station. The accused had Rs 17 lakh of the victim’s funds channeled to an IDBI Bank account. Further scrutiny revealed that Patel allegedly facilitated cyber fraud by providing banking details to an absconding accomplice for a commission on transactions.
Police discovered transactions totaling Rs 1,60,84,505 passing through the same account, which was linked to eight cyber fraud complaints across different states amounting to Rs 24,72,31,464. A team led by Police Inspector A.M. Mori apprehended the accused after tracing him through technical analysis. The Cyber Crime Cell cautioned the public against falling for unsolicited investment schemes related to forex, share trading, or cryptocurrency without proper validation.
Authorities advised individuals to be cautious of unknown investment offers, block unfamiliar WhatsApp or Telegram groups, avoid significant investments based on minimal returns, refrain from sending money to strangers from social media or matrimonial platforms, and promptly report suspected cyber fraud to the cybercrime helpline.
