Lucknow: Hardoi Police have registered an FIR against five people for allegedly duping investors of around ₹50 crore through cryptocurrency and forex trading schemes that promised assured monthly returns and incentives such as Goa trips and residential plots in Lucknow.The case was filed at Pali police station following complaints by multiple investors who said they were induced to invest through entities operating under the names Bombitex Exchange and BMax Reality. The accused include a couple from Lakhimpur Kheri and three others from Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur districts, police said.According to the FIR, the accused held promotional seminars in Hardoi, Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheri and Lucknow. During these events, they allegedly presented themselves as managing director and directors of the companies and claimed the firms were registered with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Govt of India, portraying the schemes as legitimate.Investigators said investors were promised a fixed 7.5% monthly return, with assurances that a ₹1 lakh investment would yield ₹7,500 each month. The FIR also alleges they offered additional incentives, including an all-expenses-paid trip to Goa for those investing ₹1.35 lakh, and encouraged participants to recruit new investors through a network model.Complainants said that when payouts stopped, they sought refunds but were instead advised to move funds to a new platform, with claims that earlier losses could be recovered through fresh investments. The FIR further alleges investors who put in more than ₹5 lakh were promised residential plots in Lucknow.SP Hardoi Ashok Meena said a probe is underway to verify losses, trace the money trail and identify more victims.
