Cyber Fraudsters Swindle ₹75 Lakh from Retired Engineer in Noida
Noida Cyber Scam Targeting Elderly
Noida: A significant rise in cyber fraud targeting individuals under the guise of investment schemes has been reported. Particularly vulnerable are the elderly, who often fall prey to these scams. Recently, a retired engineer, aged 71, from Noida was duped out of ₹75 lakh by cybercriminals promising substantial returns on stock market investments, as revealed by police on Sunday.
Details of the Incident
According to police reports, the victim filed a complaint at the cybercrime police station on Saturday night. Investigations are underway regarding the accounts to which the money was transferred. Deputy Commissioner of Police Shaivya Goyal stated that the elderly victim, Alok Sahdev, residing in 'ATS One Hamlet Society' in Sector 104, reported that he was added to an investment group on WhatsApp on February 25. This group, named 'Wealth Alliance', claimed to offer significant profits from investments in the stock market and IPOs.
Building Trust Before the Scam
The complainant noted that members of the group frequently shared screenshots of profits and trading information, which solidified his trust. He alleged that the group members encouraged him to download a trading app, claiming it would allow investments in both Indian and foreign markets. Initially, he invested a small amount and earned ₹8,000, which further boosted his confidence.
Subsequently, the fraudsters persuaded him to invest larger sums and gradually directed him to transfer money into various bank accounts. The victim mentioned that they misled him into believing that he had received a large allocation of shares, warning that failure to deposit additional funds would result in a freeze on his account transactions.
Investigation by Cyber Cell
When the victim refused to pay more, his app account was blocked, he was removed from the WhatsApp group, and all displayed profits vanished. He reported that he was defrauded of ₹75.64 lakh. Police officials confirmed that the cybercrime unit is investigating the case and is working to identify the accounts involved in the transactions. They also indicated that transactions in suspicious accounts would be halted.