Two cyber fraudsters from Haryana were apprehended for deceiving a Delhi woman of Rs 22.7 lakh by enticing her to invest through a stock trading App, as per a statement from a Delhi Police official. The accused individuals, Sameer and Dev Singh, both hailing from Hisar, were found in possession of two mobile phones and three SIM cards.
The fraudsters targeted victims via social media platforms like WhatsApp or Telegram, posing as skilled traders or financial advisors. They offered unrealistic returns on stock market investments, initially requesting a small sum from victims and fabricating profits to gain trust. Subsequently, victims were coerced into investing larger amounts for increased profits, only to face substantial losses or account freezes due to alleged tax or compliance issues.
Upon extracting substantial sums from victims, the fraudsters ceased communication or blocked them, necessitating numerous bank accounts to facilitate their scheme. The victim, Dr. Amita Garg, lodged an online complaint regarding the cyber fraud incident, leading to the registration of an e-FIR under relevant sections at PS Cyber Shahdara.
In her complaint, Garg mentioned being added to a WhatsApp group named Stan Chart Dialogue Forum L7, where discussions revolved around D-mat shares. One of the group admins, identified as Yalini Guna, proposed an investment plan through their app, SCIIHNW, which purportedly offered shares. Garg invested Rs 22.7 lakh in total, only to be blocked by the fraudsters on the application after the transactions.
During the investigation, the police traced the transactions to an account in Bank of Maharashtra, revealing the involvement of Sameer from Hisar, Haryana. A team from Delhi Police apprehended the suspects, Sameer and Dev Singh, in Hisar after confirming their roles in the fraudulent activities.
