Bengaluru: Man loses Rs 18 lakh in investment scam

A 29-year-old private company employee fell victim to an elaborate fraud scheme orchestrated by an unknown woman.

Praveen, residing in Kundanahalli Gate, lured by promises of high dividends through a purported investment opportunity, ended up losing a staggering sum of Rs 18 lakh.

The scam began when Praveen received a message on WhatsApp from a woman offering a part-time job. Intrigued, Praveen engaged in conversation with her and was directed to a Telegram link. The woman, posing as a potential employer, suggested that Praveen could earn significant returns by investing money in the provided link.

To gain his trust, Praveen received an initial credit of Rs 1,000 in his bank account after clicking on the Telegram link. Encouraged by this, Praveen proceeded to invest Rs 18.44 lakh in a series of transactions as per the instructions of the fraudulent woman. However, when the promised dividends failed to materialize, Praveen attempted to contact the woman, only to discover that she had vanished.

Realizing he had fallen victim to cyber thieves, Praveen reported the incident to the police.