Cyber fraudsters dupe Goans of Rs 46 L through fake online schemes

Amresh Parab

Panaji

Gullible people continue to fall prey to the tricks of cyber criminals who, under the pretext of providing high returns, induce people to invest in online trading schemes, companies or perform online tasks to earn money. In four recent online fraud cases registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Ribandar, four individuals, including a 76-year-old retired employee from Chinchinim, Salcete, and a 32-year-old businesswoman from Margao, collectively lost over Rs 46 lakh.

Police said the retired employee was contacted through a WhatsApp call by unknown persons claiming to represent a forex trading firm. The accused allegedly assured high returns on forex investments and induced the complainant to begin trading activities. “Under the false pretext of high returns, the complainant was coerced into transferring a total amount of Rs 15,28,958 through multiple transactions into different bank accounts,” police said.

In another case, a 56-year-old man from Sancordem, Dharbandora, was allegedly cheated of Rs 13,77,480 by fraudsters posing as business consultants on a social media platform. A woman allegedly convinced the complainant to invest in a company identified as ‘Polysugold’ through the website polysugold.it.com, claiming it was based in Russia and promising returns of 25 per cent. Police said the complainant transferred money through multiple transactions before the accused stopped responding.

A 47-year-old man from Cortalim, South Goa, was allegedly duped of Rs 10.60 lakh by persons impersonating representatives of ABSLPRIV company. Police said the accused lured the complainant into an online trading scheme and induced him to carry out multiple trades before cutting off communication.

In another case, a 32-year-old businesswoman from Margao allegedly lost Rs 6,74,500 after fraudsters claiming to organise kids’ modelling collaborations convinced her that her child had been selected. Police said she was asked to complete online tasks for commissions and was initially given small returns to gain her trust before being induced to transfer larger amounts into multiple bank accounts. Police are investigating all four cases.