Lucknow: A retired United India Insurance Company official was allegedly duped of ₹40.75 lakh by cyber fraudsters who lured him with promises of high returns on investments in a purported trading firm.According to cyber crime police station inspector Alok Rao, the victim, Shiv Kumar Gautam, received a message on Facebook offering lucrative returns on investments.After contacting the number mentioned in the message, he was introduced to various investment schemes allegedly offered by a company called Exwell.The accused allegedly convinced him to invest money in the schemes and subsequently extracted ₹40.75 lakh through multiple transactions.The fraud came to light when the suspects repeatedly demanded additional money, raising Gautam’s suspicions. He later made inquiries and realised that he had fallen victim to a cyber scam.An FIR was registered at the cyber crime police station on Sept 23 under relevant sections pertaining to cheating and the Information Technology Act.Police said they are investigating the transactions and tracing the bank accounts into which the money was transferred.How to stay safe from investment scamsCyber police advised people not to fall for offers promising guaranteed or unusually high returns. Investors should verify the credentials of a company before transferring money and avoid making hurried investment decisions.People were also advised against downloading investment applications through unknown links or APK files and never to share OTP, passwords or other banking credentials with anyone.In case of a cyber fraud, victims should immediately call the 1930 cybercrime helpline and file a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, besides informing their bank and approaching the nearest police station or cybercrime unit.
