HYDERABAD: Cyber fraudsters allegedly cheated a 76-year-old doctor of Rs 86 lakh by impersonating representatives of an investment platform and misusing the name and image of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a fraudulent social media advertisement.
According to the complaint, the doctor came across an online advertisement on March 9 claiming investors could earn Rs 22 lakh a week. The next day, he received a WhatsApp call from a man identifying himself as ‘Ashwin’, who claimed to represent a company called Social Venture Capital and persuaded him to register by paying Rs 17,500 and opening a Demat account.
The victim subsequently invested Rs 5 lakh initially and later transferred larger sums after being promised high returns. When he attempted to withdraw Rs 85 lakh, the money was allegedly diverted to another account. The fraudsters then demanded additional payments towards bank and processing charges on multiple occasions.
Realising he had been cheated, the doctor approached the Hyderabad cyber crime police, who registered a case and launched an investigation.