One retired Brigadier named Mahendra Singh, a resident of Panchkula’s DLF Valley, Haryana, had no idea that he was being trapped when he received a notification on WhatsApp regarding stock market investments. As per reports, he received a message on WhatsApp, in which he was given some tips for investing in the stock market. There was also a link to an app in the message. He was asked to download an app from that link. It was written that by downloading the app from there, one can earn extra income from the stock market. Mahendra Singh believed this message and downloaded the app. Initially, he invested more than Rs 1 crore (about 125,000 USD). Later, his wife also joined in the investment, and together they invested a total of Rs 4.2 crore (about 5,30,000 USD).
Everything seemed fine for a while. There were constant updates and assurances. When the Brigadier wanted to withdraw his investment, he became suspicious. The fraudsters demanded a commission of Rs 65 lakh (about 81,250 USD) for the withdrawal. This demand made the Brigadier understand that he had been duped. He filed a complaint with the Haryana Cyber Crime Police.
Upon receiving the complaint, Haryana Police started investigating and found that it was part of a larger international scam. According to the report, the masterminds of this complex cyber scam were based in the United States and the United Kingdom. These thugs were running a well-planned operation. They were transferring money to the bank accounts of people in the border villages of India. From there, they used to get that money transferred to themselves. For this work, they also gave a commission of Rs 4,000 to Rs 10,000 to the account holders for every Rs 1 lakh (about 1,250 USD). An investigation is still going on in this case.
Reports suggest two people were recently arrested and have been identified as Manpreet Singh and Karnail Singh. These individuals are residents of villages along the Indo-Pakistan border and have been placed under four-day police remand for further investigation. Prior to their arrest, four other suspects had already been sent to jail.
How to stay safe?
As per reports, one should be cautious of random messages or calls, especially those offering financial advice. Check the authenticity of the source before clicking on any link or downloading any app.
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