Rajkot: A 45-year-old man, a prominent figure in the construction business, lost Rs 39 lakh to an elaborate cyberfraud.He filed a complaint at Cyber Crime police station here, against the holders of a certain Facebook profile, several WhatsApp numbers and multiple bank account. According to the complaint, the fraud began when the victim accepted a friend request from a Facebook ID named “Aarohi Agrawal”. Their communication soon shifted to WhatsApp, where the accused allegedly persuaded him to invest in a scheme called “Golden Trading”, promising quick and substantial returns. The victim was given a website link to create an account. Over seven months, he transferred Rs 39 lakh to seven different bank accounts provided by the accused. Police sources said the complainant initially saw large “profits” displayed in his online “wallet” on the website, which encouraged him to keep investing. Suspicion arose when he tried to withdraw his profits and principal amount, at which time the accused allegedly demanded “additional charges”. Investigating officer S D Gilva said, “We requested detailed information from Facebook regarding the mobile number linked to the ‘Aarohi Agrawal’ account and investigated the IP address used for its operation.” Police are also working to identify the holders of the bank accounts that received the funds and to trace the creators and administrators of the investment website. The case has been registered under BNS Sections 316(5), 318(4), 319(1), 338, 340(1), 61(2), and various sections of the Information Technology Act.
