In one of the largest individual cyber heists in the district this year, a medical professional has fallen prey to an international investment syndicate, losing ₹50 lakh in a matter of weeks.
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The Trap: The victim, a senior specialist at a private hospital, was added to a WhatsApp group titled “Global Crypto Wealth” in early October. The group featured “mentors” who shared fabricated success stories and screenshots of massive crypto-trading profits.
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The Manipulation: After being convinced, the doctor was asked to download a custom application via a link (not available on the Play Store). The app showed his initial investment of ₹5 lakh doubling within days. Trusting the visual “evidence,” the victim proceeded to invest an additional ₹45 lakh in four installments through IMPS and RTGS.
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The “Exit Scam”: When the doctor’s dashboard showed a balance of ₹1.2 crore, he attempted to liquidate his assets. The scammers then claimed that his account was “flagged by the IRDA/Tax department” and he needed to pay an additional ₹15 lakh as a clearance fee. It was at this point the victim realized he was being scammed and approached the police.
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Police Investigation: The Cyber Cell has identified that the money was routed through over 12 “mule” accounts across different states including West Bengal and Jharkhand. “This is a classic ‘Pig Butchering’ scam where the victim is nurtured with fake profits before the final kill,” said the investigating officer.
