Pune: 19 People Fall Prey to Investment Deceit, Losing 73 Lakh In Scam
Pune: 19 People Fall Prey to Investment Deceit, Losing 73 Lakh In Scam
6/August/2024
Nineteen individuals, mostly ex-servicemen, have been scammed of Rs 72.75 lakh in an investment scam between January 2023 and April, according to the police. This incident follows a similar investment fraud where 262 citizens, primarily ex-servicemen, were deceived of Rs26.41 crore in the city.
The Chandannagar police have filed a case against five individuals, including a woman, from Nashik, Mumbai, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. These individuals claimed to be involved in cryptocurrency trading through a firm in Kharadi, which abruptly closed down after collecting investments from the 19 victims.
The Kharadi firm held seminars and guaranteed the victims that their investments would double in just 20 months. One of the victims, a 40-year-old retired army personnel from Pangare village in Purandar tehsil, lodged a complaint regarding this matter.
One of the suspects, who is from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and a retired army personnel, as per the police. He and the complainant got acquainted through a mutual friend. The suspects informed the victim and others about their company and investment schemes. They lured investors to attend workshops held in Kharadi and Lonavla. The scammers guaranteed a 10% monthly return on regular investments and pledged to double the invested amount if individuals purchased cryptocurrency.
The person who filed the complaint shared that the suspects mentioned the company would introduce its own cryptocurrency and organized an event related to it in Goa. “After attending the workshops and understanding the plan, I chose to invest,” he mentioned. “The company representatives handed me post-dated checks, which I deposited in the bank, but they all bounced. The same situation occurred with other investors, and we collectively decided to visit the company’s office in Kharadi. Upon arrival, we discovered it was locked, prompting us to seek help from the police.” A case of cheating and breach of trust has been filed against the company officials.
