KOCHI: A Gujarat native who swindled around Rs 8 lakh from a resident of Kizhakkambalam, Ernakulam, through an online scam, was nabbed from Gujarat.
Reeten Keerthbhai Hakkani, 34, was apprehended by a special team from the Thadiyittaparambu police station. The accused was taken into custody by the police squad while he was staying in a luxury apartment complex, said K K Shibu, a senior CPO with the Thadiyittaparambu police.
On the modus operandi of the fraudsters, Shibu said, “The victim came into contact with the accused through social media, where he was lured with promises of high returns on online trading.”
After winning the trust, the victim began financial transactions through an app shared by the accused. Between February 17 and March 7, 2025, the victim deposited Rs 7.8 lakh across multiple bank accounts. When the victim later tried to withdraw the profit shown in the app’s wallet, the accused demanded a commission amount. At this point, the victim realised that it was a scam and filed a complaint with the Thadiyittaparambu police, said Shibu.
“Acting on the complaint, Ernakulam district police chief Vaibhav Saxena formed a special team to probe the case. The investigation revealed that the accused was based in Surat,” said the officer.
It was found that the full amount was transferred to the accused’s account.