Cybercrime investigators have launched a massive, multi-layered financial tracing operation after a 70-year-old senior chartered accountant fell victim to an intricate digital investment trap. The state cyber cell managed to successfully freeze approximately ₹1.75 crore across targeted banking nodes, though the remainder of the defrauded capital was rapidly dispersed across an extensive network of domestic mule accounts.
The operational mechanics of the fraudulent network began in the final week of December 2025, when the victim, a resident of the Inderganj locality, was contacted via WhatsApp by an individual masquerading as an authorized investment adviser. The perpetrators initially established credibility by dispatching legitimate returns on minor baseline transactions before migrating the professional to a custom-engineered online trading portal designed to project completely fictitious accumulation metrics. Confident in these simulated visual margins, the professional executed more than 100 outbound transactions originating from four distinct personal bank accounts over a subsequent six-month period, aggregating an investment exceeding ₹21 crore.
The illicit enterprise unraveled when the victim initiated formal withdrawal requests for the accumulated funds. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Nayan Sharma, the digital syndicate blocked the transfers using systematic administrative excuses, eventually demanding an additional multi-crore payout under the guise of clearance fees to release the principal asset capital. A formal cyber branch investigation is ongoing.
