Man loses ₹23.84 lakh in Telegram scam:Fraudsters lured victim with fake investment profits in Gwalior

A case of cyber fraud involving ₹23.84 lakh has come to light in Gwalior, where a man was allegedly cheated by fraudsters who promised lucrative returns through an investment scheme promoted on the Telegram messaging app. The Crime Branch has registered a case following the victim’s complaint. As per the information, the complainant, Rakesh Babu, a resident of Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, works for a private company in Malanpur and currently lives in Shatabdipuram under Maharajpura in Gwalior. According to the complaint, on April 4, while using Telegram, Rakesh received a message offering substantial profits through online trading investments. The fraudsters also claimed he could earn a significant income by working from home. Invested money after seeing promised profits Believing the claims, Rakesh began investing money as instructed by the scammers. Over time, his online account allegedly displayed considerable profits, encouraging him to continue investing. However, when he attempted to withdraw the accumulated amount, the transaction failed. Scammers demanded tax before releasing funds After contacting the fraudsters, Rakesh was informed that he would need to pay a tax before his earnings could be released. Trusting their explanation, he deposited the requested amount. Even after making the payment, he was unable to withdraw his funds. When he approached the scammers again, they reportedly made additional financial demands, prompting him to realise that he had been defrauded. Cyber cell working to freeze beneficiary accounts Following the incident, Rakesh reported the matter through the police helpline, at Maharajpura Police Station, and to the Cyber Cell. Authorities initially registered a Zero FIR through the police helpline before transferring the case to the Cyber Cell for further investigation. Officials are now working with cyber experts to trace and freeze the bank accounts into which the defrauded money was allegedly transferred.