In a distressing case of cyber fraud, a resident of Hosapete in the Vijayanagara district has been cheated out of a staggering sum of Rs 44.5 lakh. The victim, Arogya Das from the TB Dam area, fell prey to fraudsters who lured him with promises of quick and high returns on his investment.
The Modus Operandi of the Fraudsters
The scam was executed over a period of nearly two months, between November 11, 2025, and January 1, 2026. The perpetrators initiated contact with Arogya Das using two different WhatsApp numbers. Posing as representatives of a lucrative company, they convinced him to join their venture and invest his money for substantial profits.
Trusting their claims, Das followed their instructions and began transferring money. He made deposits into a total of 12 different bank accounts as directed by the scammers. To build further trust and extract more money, the fraudsters presented him with a fabricated account statement. They informed him that his investment had ballooned to over Rs 1.4 crore.
The Final Demand That Raised Suspicions
However, to access this fictional fortune, Das was told he needed to pay Rs 15.4 lakh for commission and tax charges. Assured that he would receive the entire guaranteed amount within just four days after this payment, he complied and transferred the demanded sum.
The scheme unraveled when the fraudsters, growing greedy, made another demand. They called Arogya Das asking for an additional Rs 3 lakh. This repeated demand triggered his suspicion. He decided to visit an auditor's office to verify the legitimacy of the company and the transactions. It was there that the devastating truth was revealed—the entire operation was an elaborate online financial fraud.
Police Investigation Underway
Following the discovery, Arogya Das immediately filed a formal complaint with the police. In his statement, he detailed, "I transferred a total of Rs 44.5 lakh to these fraudsters via RTGS and PhonePe. Please get my money back."
Superintendent of Police S Jahnavi has confirmed that an investigation is actively progressing. "We are conducting an investigation and are confident that the fraudsters will be apprehended soon," stated SP Jahnavi. The case highlights the increasing sophistication of WhatsApp investment scams targeting individuals with promises of unrealistic financial gains.
This incident serves as a critical warning for the public to exercise extreme caution with unsolicited investment offers received through messaging platforms and to thoroughly verify the credentials of any company before transferring funds.
