Ahmedabad: Cybercrime police on Thursday busted a multilayered online racket and arrested six persons for allegedly cheating a city lawyer of nearly Rs 60 lakh by luring him with promises of high-return cryptocurrency investments. Of the six, four are from Ahmedabad, one from Amreli and one from Delhi. The alleged mastermind of the racket, a native of Surat currently residing in Dubai, remains absconding.According to police, the fraud began with a friend request on Facebook, where the victim was lured into a conversation that soon shifted to promises of high returns through crypto trading. The accused convinced the victim to download a mobile application and invest in Tether (USDT), portraying it as a “guaranteed profit” platform linked to international markets. Officials said the victim initially invested a small amount and even received partial returns, which helped the fraudsters gain trust. Encouraged by the profits, the victim transferred larger sums into multiple bank accounts provided by the accused over time. Of the nearly Rs 60 lakh transferred, only a small portion was returned. Police officers said the accused acted as account providers and facilitators, routing funds through multiple bank accounts. At least five such accounts were linked to 41 cyberfraud complaints across different states, involving transactions worth around Rs 1.5 crore. The case was registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act. Police said efforts are on to nab the absconding accused.
