50-Year-Old Calcuttan Loses ₹16 Lakh in WhatsApp Investment Scam; Four Arrested

July 5, 2024, Calcutta: A fifty-year-old resident of Purba Jadavpur's Nayabad fell victim to a sophisticated investment fraud that was run through a WhatsApp group. The complainant, Goutam Roy Chowdhury, was persuaded to invest ₹16.42 lakh by making high-yielding guarantees on particular shares.

Police records state that when Mr. Chowdhury joined the WhatsApp group, scammers tricked him into sending money to other bank accounts. Since March 9, the group members have instructed for the transactions to be done in installments. Mr. Chowdhury ultimately understood, though, that he had lost all of his money and received nothing in return.

To keep up the pretense of respectability, the scammers even sent him fake investment certificates. Following Mr. Chowdhury's June complaint to the Kolkata Police, a case was filed under the Information Technology Act, sections pertaining to cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and criminal conspiracy.

Four participants in the scam were quickly taken into custody by the police:

Shiva Kumar Sonkar (36), from Bagbazar in Shyampukur; Praveen Goel (39), from Golabari, Howrah; Om Prakash Mishra (36), also from Howrah
Aloke Agarwal, a 44-year-old Shyampukur native
From providing mule accounts for illegal transactions to overseeing beneficiary accounts, each suspect had a specific function to perform in the fraudulent scheme. Six cell phones, fifty-two SIM cards that were never used, eight rubber stamps with various business names, a debit card, and a number of documents were taken by the police during the arrests.

The police discovered another complaint concerning a loss of ₹1.43 crore during a connected inquiry. In this instance, the complaint was allegedly tricked by another organization. Bikram Basak, the detained suspect, stated he received instructions over WhatsApp from a person in China. According to reports, the Chinese person received the embezzled money in cryptocurrencies.

It is a sobering warning to proceed with caution when considering investment options, particularly when contacted through internet platforms such as WhatsApp, as police continue their investigation. Being cautious and skeptical is crucial to preventing these types of scams.