Bengaluru: Cybercriminals are finding newer ways to dupe unsuspecting citizens, and their latest ploy shows just how devious they can be: A 46-year-old software engineer from Horamavu in the city lost a staggering Rs 44 lakh after being drawn into a fake stock-trading scheme that began with a false medical emergency alert.The victim, Jayaraj (name changed), received a Telegram message on July 11 claiming that someone was in a critical condition at a hospital and urging him to rush there. Jayaraj felt bad thinking it was a medical emergency and the message was sent to the wrong person. He replied: “I’m not the right contact; check and send to the respective person.” The person who sent him the message thanked him for the reply. The person introduced herself as Reeva Chauhan and started sending him messages, which subsequently developed into casual conversations. What began as casual chats on Telegram soon shifted to WhatsApp, complete with voice calls. Over the weeks, Reeva befriended Jayaraj, gained his trust, and learned personal details about his life. She claimed to work for a stock market firm and promised to help him make quick profits.On July 31, she shared a trading platform link, OSL Trade, and even helped him set up an account. She guided him to invest Rs 50,000 initially. Within days, Jayaraj saw Rs 4,950 credited back to his bank account, further cementing his belief that the platform was genuine. From Aug 1 to Sept 17, he invested Rs 44.2 lakh in three transactions: Rs 20 lakh, Rs 12 lakh, and Rs 12.2 lakh, respectively, to three different account numbers provided by the fraudsters. On his trading dashboard, profits kept mounting, showing a balance of Rs 24 lakh. But when he tried to withdraw, the “system” blocked the transaction, demanding more investments.When Jayaraj explained he had exhausted his savings, the fraudsters cut off communication. Realising he had been duped, he reported it to the cybercrime helpline and filed a complaint on Sept 22.East CEN Crime police have registered a case under the IT Act and BNS section 318 (cheating). Officers said efforts are underway to trace the fraudsters and freeze the accounts.
