Kochi, 04 March (H.S.):A 72-year-old resident of Kochi has been cheated of more than ₹81 lakh by a fraud gang that lured him into investing through a fake online trading platform promising huge profits. The incident has once again highlighted the growing threat of cyber-enabled financial scams targeting senior citizens.

According to police, the victim, a resident of Elamkulam in Kochi, was approached by the fraudsters through WhatsApp. The accused allegedly contacted him claiming to represent an online trading service and convinced him that he could earn substantial profits through investments on their platform.

The gang reportedly directed the victim to a fraudulent online trading portal and persuaded him to deposit money in stages. Believing the promises of high returns, the elderly man transferred a total of ₹81,02,560 to the accounts provided by the scammers.

Police said the transactions took place between November 6 and December 5 last year, during which the victim transferred the money through multiple bank accounts in two instalments. The fraudsters continued to assure him that the investment would generate large profits.

However, when the promised returns failed to materialise and he was unable to withdraw the money from the platform, the victim realised that he had been cheated. He subsequently approached the police and lodged a formal complaint.

Based on the complaint, the Ernakulam South Police have registered a case and begun an investigation into the fraud. Preliminary findings indicate that the scammers used WhatsApp messages to build trust and manipulate the victim into making repeated payments through the fake trading platform.

Police officials said efforts are under way to trace the bank accounts used in the transactions and identify the individuals involved in the cyber fraud.

Authorities have once again warned the public to remain cautious about unsolicited investment offers received through social media or messaging platforms, especially those promising unusually high returns in a short period of time.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman