HYDERABAD: A 43-year-old IT employee from Kondapur lost Rs 2.36 crore allegedly after being duped into investing in a fake online platform by fraudsters posing as acquaintances on Facebook.
According to the victim, he received a friend request in August 2025 from a woman identifying herself as Yeung Dee, also known as Cora, which he accepted. The two later exchanged phone numbers and continued their communication. During conversations, she claimed to be from Singapore and working in Mumbai, adding that her mother lived in Hyderabad with her Indian stepfather. She also introduced him to a group of individuals who allegedly worked with Facebook in Germany.
After building trust over several weeks, the accused persuaded him to invest in a ‘Facebook store’, claiming her associates would help boost sales and generate profits. Initially hesitant, the victim was eventually convinced after repeated discussions and apparent endorsements from others.
As the platform was not accessible in India, another individual introduced as a Facebook employee shared an APK file that enabled access to the purported store. Acting on their guidance, the victim began investing and was even able to withdraw small amounts initially.
Encouraged by apparent returns and seeing others in the group invest, he continued to transfer larger sums over time. However, when he later attempted to withdraw his funds, he was unable to access the platform.
Realising he had been cheated, the victim approached Cyberabad cybercrime police, who registered a case and launched a probe.