Garment-unit owner in Ludhiana loses Rs 9.4 lakh to cyber scam: FIR lodged after lengthy inquiry

Ludhiana: A local garment manufacturer lost Rs 9.4 lakh to cyber fraudsters who lured him with the promise of earning money through online product reviews before persuading him to invest in cryptocurrency. Despite tracking one of the accused and providing his address to the cyber police, no arrests have been made yet.
Deceptive scheme
Abhishek Jain, 29, a resident of Neta Ji Nagar in Salem Tabri, filed a police complaint on July 27, 2023, after realizing he had been duped. According to Jain, the scam began with a WhatsApp message from an unknown number offering an opportunity to earn money from home. After he expressed interest, he was added to a Telegram group and instructed to rate products on Amazon. He initially received Rs 50 per rating, with the first payment released once his earnings reached Rs 300.
"I received the money after completing the first level, which made me trust the scheme," Jain said. "Soon, I was added to more groups and continued making money by completing similar tasks."
Crypto trap
Encouraged by his initial earnings, Jain was introduced to another Telegram group where he was urged to invest in cryptocurrency trading. Convinced by early returns, he transferred money into the fraudsters' wallet, gradually investing a total of Rs 9.4 lakh. He was promised a return of Rs 12 lakh but was later asked to deposit an additional Rs 5 lakh to claim his supposed profits.
"At that moment, I realized I had been scammed," Jain said. "I had put in all my savings, as well as my father's, and lost everything."
Delayed action
Jain reported the fraud to the cyber crime police station in July 2023. After more than 18 months of inaction, an FIR was finally registered against the accused: Vasudha Devi of Vasudha Collections, Rajv Ghai of MH Enterprises, and Brijesh Soni of MR Enterprises. The case has been lodged under sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Jain managed to trace one of the accused, Rajiv, to Ludhiana and provided his details to the police. However, no arrests have been made so far. "I had almost lost hope, but now at least a case has been registered," Jain said. "I just hope the authorities take action before more people fall victim to such scams." The case highlights the growing threat of online financial fraud and the challenges victims face in securing timely justice.
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