Ex-employee of share trading company duped of Rs 4 lakh in money-doubling Bitcoin con

MUMBAI: Promising to double money in Bitcoin investments within 45 minutes, unidentified cyber fraudsters duped a 27-year-old woman of Rs 3.88 lakh. The victim, who earlier worked with a share trading firm, lodged an FIR with the LT Marg police on April 5.
The complainant had recently quit her job and was at home. She came across an advertisement on Telegram about the Bitcoin money doubling investment scheme. She had seen such messages earlier too, but this time, she opened a link given in the message link and found a mobile number in it. The woman called on the number and the call receiver said he was from a Bitcoin company and explained the investment scheme to the woman, convincing her to invest in it saying her investment will be doubled in 45 minutes. The fraudster collected the complainant's bank account details where he said they would be sending her profit.
"The complainant initially invested Rs 7,000. She was told that it will be doubled within 45 minutes. However, even after two to three hours when the profit was not deposited to her account, she contacted the person and asked him about it. The accused told her that she had gained double profit and asked her to pay income tax fees, GST, legal fees etc," said an officer. The accused told her that by the time she sends the legal fees and other charges, they would have further invested her profit to double it. The accused communicated via WhatsApp messages and calls.
Police said between March 14 and March 20, the woman sent Rs 3.88 lakh in eight Indian bank accounts provided by the cyber fraudster through more than a dozen transactions. "The woman kept asking for her money but the accused would tell her to send more money as fees saying her investment in Bitcoin was increasing. However, after March 20, the accused stopped taking her calls," said police. This is when she realised she was duped. A team led by senior PI Jyoti Desai and comprising API Prakash Patil and head constable Santosh Paware is probing the case.