52-year-old doctor duped of Rs 1.8 crore in online trading scam

Sambalpur: In another online investment scam reported in the city, a 52-year-old doctor from Odisha allegedly lost Rs 1.8 crore to fraudsters after being lured into a fake stock trading platform two months ago. Although the police managed to retrieve around Rs 50 lakh, an investigation is ongoing to apprehend the scammers.

The incident came to light after the doctor lodged an FIR with the cybercrime police on January 27. According to the police, the doctor was approached by a man named Sanjay Sharma on an instant messaging platform, who convinced him to invest in stocks through a specific portal.

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He was then added to a special group where another individual, identified as "Mr. Ted," posed as a local investment guide. Following Ted’s advice, the doctor transferred funds from three of his bank accounts to various accounts provided by the fraudsters, TOI reports.

Even though at first, the platform allowed the doctor to withdraw a small sum of Rs 2,000, it later denied him access to a larger amount of withdrawal. When he attempted to withdraw a larger amount, the app blocked his request and demanded more money.

Realizing he had been duped, the doctor tried contacting the group’s administrator but received no response. He then reported the matter on the national cybercrime portal and subsequently filed an FIR under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, 2000 with the cybercrime police station in Sambalpur.

"We have recovered over Rs 50 lakh of the amount so far," said cybercrime DSP, Ambit Mohanty.

Online investment scams have been on the rise, and doctors are falling victim to such frauds frequently. Medical Dialogues recently reported that the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have arrested two individuals from Gujarat for conning a 54-year-old female doctor out of Rs. 3 crore by posing as government officials.

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