Surat: A 62-year-old business consultant and corporate trainer was duped of Rs 1.63 crore in a cyber fraud after being lured with promises of high returns through a “Gold Mining Trading” scheme. Surat cybercrime police have registered a case against unknown persons and launched an investigation.The victim, a resident of Athwalines, was contacted on Facebook on Dec 10, 2024, by a woman identifying herself as Anjali Modi, who claimed to be a Mumbai-based fashion designer. The two later connected on WhatsApp, where she allegedly introduced him to an investment scheme promising returns of up to 66% per month (2.2% daily).She claimed to have been investing in a Nevada-based gold mining firm since 2021 and shared a link to a trading application, prompting the victim to create an account. Convinced by the offer, the victim transferred Rs 1.63 crore in 35 transactions between Dec 2024 and April 2025 to accounts provided by the accused.When the victim attempted to withdraw funds, he was asked to pay additional charges under various pretexts, including margin money, audit fees, credit score charges and international transfer fees.On April 24,2025 the accused demanded a further Rs 52.19 lakh for processing the withdrawal. Realising the fraud, the victim contacted the 1930 cyber helpline and lodged a complaint on April 25, 2025. Based on the complaint, Surat cybercrime police registered an FIR on Tuesday.
