Hapur | A shocking cyber fraud case has surfaced in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur district, where a social media friendship allegedly turned into a financial nightmare involving nearly ₹1 crore. Cyber criminals reportedly trapped a man in an online romance scheme and later convinced him to invest heavily in Bitcoin and other digital assets, ultimately cheating him of his life savings.
The case has once again highlighted how cyber fraud networks are increasingly combining emotional manipulation with digital investment scams to target unsuspecting victims.
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According to the complaint filed at the cyber crime police station, the victim, Hariom Singh, a resident of Brajghat in the Garhmukteshwar area, became friends with a woman named Asha Gupta on Facebook around one-and-a-half to two months ago. What began as casual online conversations gradually developed into frequent chats and phone calls, during which the woman allegedly gained his trust by building an emotional connection.
Investigators said the accused later introduced the victim to cryptocurrency investment opportunities, claiming that Bitcoin trading could generate massive profits within a short period. Initially, she allegedly persuaded him to invest smaller amounts and even returned what appeared to be “double profits,” creating the impression that the investment platform was genuine and highly profitable.
Believing the scheme to be legitimate, the victim gradually began investing larger sums of money. According to the complaint, he transferred nearly ₹1 crore in multiple installments, including ₹5 lakh, ₹10 lakh and ₹15 lakh, to different bank accounts and mobile-linked payment wallets provided by the accused.
The transactions were carried out through PhonePe, RTGS transfers and other digital banking channels. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the money was routed through nearly 10 to 12 different accounts, raising suspicions that the fraud was operated by an organized cyber crime network using mule bank accounts to conceal the money trail.
When the victim later demanded the return of his money, the accused allegedly continued assuring him that the investment value would “soon double” and that the funds would be released after further processing. Investigators said the woman later pressured him to invest an additional ₹30 lakh, which triggered suspicion. Realizing that he may have fallen victim to a large-scale cyber fraud, the victim approached the police.
Officials said the alleged fraud took place between February 28 and April 22, 2026. During this period, the accused reportedly remained in constant contact with the victim through social media chats, voice calls and video calls, using emotional influence and psychological pressure to encourage further investments.
Cyber experts say such “romance-investment scams” are becoming increasingly common, especially on social media and dating platforms. Fraudsters typically establish emotional trust before introducing fake cryptocurrency or stock market investment opportunities designed to extract large amounts of money from victims.
The victim has submitted transaction records, UTR details, bank documents and mobile numbers linked to the transfers. Cyber police are now tracing the bank accounts involved and examining wallet trails, transaction histories and digital communication records to identify other individuals connected to the network.
Renowned cyber crime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said cyber criminals are now merging romance scams with cryptocurrency fraud to create highly convincing financial traps.
According to him, “Fraudsters first build emotional trust by showing small profits and later manipulate victims into transferring huge amounts of money.”
Police have advised people not to trust investment schemes promoted through newly formed social media relationships. Authorities also warned citizens to independently verify cryptocurrency and high-return investment offers before transferring money online.
Officials said anyone facing suspicious digital transactions or online investment fraud should immediately report the matter to the national cyber helpline 1930 and file a complaint with the nearest cyber police station. Investigators suspect the network may be operating across multiple states and could involve a large chain of mule accounts used for laundering fraudulent funds.
