Facebook Friendship, WhatsApp Chats, and Fake Trading Dashboard Used to Defraud Senior Investor
Mumbai / Thane: An 81-year-old senior citizen residing on Ghodbunder Road has reportedly lost ₹86.9 lakh in a cryptocurrency investment scam. The fraudsters first established contact on social media, built trust, and then lured him into transferring large sums through WhatsApp conversations under the promise of high returns. Thane Cyber Police have registered a case and initiated a detailed investigation.
Scam Begins with a Facebook Friend Request
According to the complaint filed by the victim, the fraud began in June when he received a friend request on Facebook from a woman named “Leela Gupta.” After accepting the request, the conversation moved to Messenger and shortly thereafter to WhatsApp. Following a few days of casual conversation, Gupta introduced a proposal to invest in USDT (Tether), claiming it would generate “very high and guaranteed” profits.
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Gupta presented herself as an investment expert and provided a link to an online trading platform. She also guided the victim through the process of creating a login ID and password to access the platform.
Continuous Payments from ₹40,000 to ₹13 Lakh
Between June 20 and August 21, the victim made multiple transactions ranging from ₹40,000 to ₹13 lakh. All payments were made to different bank accounts as instructed by Gupta and her associates. The fake platform displayed steadily increasing “profits” to encourage the victim to invest more.
Within weeks, the total amount lost by the senior citizen reached ₹86.9 lakh.
Fake Dashboard Shows 2.76 Lakh USDT, Withdrawals Denied
The victim reported that the fake trading platform showed a balance of 2.76 lakh USDT, including “profits,” creating the impression that his investment was growing. However, when he attempted to withdraw 75,000 USDT, the request was immediately rejected.
Subsequently, the fraudsters claimed that a 30% ‘risk assessment security fee’ of the total balance had to be deposited to process the withdrawal.
“My Uncle Will Help”—Another Layer of Deception
When the victim expressed his inability to pay such a large sum, Gupta claimed her uncle would deposit ₹30 lakh on his behalf, while he would contribute only ₹10 lakh, which he did. Later, he was asked to deposit an additional ₹8 lakh. When he refused, Gupta promised to pay ₹40 lakh herself—but this too turned out to be false.
A few days later, all contact with the fraudsters ceased, and the victim realized he had fallen prey to a large-scale scam.
Complaint Filed on 1930 Helpline, Investigation Underway
Upon realizing the fraud, the victim immediately contacted the National Cyber Helpline 1930 and filed a police complaint. Thane Cyber Police are investigating the matter, tracing bank accounts, digital transactions, and mobile numbers used by the fraudsters.
Cyber Police Issue Advisory
Cybercrime officials noted that recent scams often follow a consistent pattern:
- Initiating contact through social media friendship
- Moving conversations to WhatsApp or other encrypted messaging platforms
- Luring victims with promises of high returns
- Displaying inflated “profits” on fake trading dashboards
- Demanding additional fees under the pretext of processing withdrawals
Authorities cautioned that no legitimate investment platform guarantees unusually high or instant returns. Citizens are advised not to trust unsolicited investment offers or click on unknown links, particularly from strangers.
