Noida: Two residents allegedly lost Rs 43 lakh after being lured with promises of high returns through investments made through WhatsApp and Telegram groups. Police said the accused initially transferred small profits to win the victims’ confidence before convincing them to invest large sums and eventually cheating them.In the first case, a man alleged that he was cheated of almost Rs 13 lakh after being added to a WhatsApp investment group by a person named Bharat Shah on March 21, 2025. He said members of the group claimed that substantial profits could be earned through online share trading from home.To gain his confidence, the fraudsters initially showed profits on a small investment. Between March 25 and April 17, the complainant allegedly transferred lakhs of rupees to multiple bank accounts.When he later tried to withdraw his profit, the accused allegedly cut off all communication. He subsequently lodged a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, following which police registered a case.In another case, a 39-year-old resident of Greater Noida West alleged that he was duped of Rs 30 lakh in a Telegram task scam. Hans told police that he received a WhatsApp message on March 26 offering an opportunity to earn money from home by completing simple online tasks. He was then added to a Telegram group where he was assigned tasks such as reviewing hotels and shops online and was initially paid small amounts along with bonuses.Gradually, the fraudsters convinced him to make larger “recharge” payments for higher returns. Over time, the complainant transferred about Rs 30 lakh to different bank accounts and UPI IDs. When he sought to withdraw, they demanded more money, prompting him to report the matter.DCP Shavya Goyal said cops are tracing the beneficiary bank accounts and suspect that rented or mule accounts, possibly belonging to labourers or unemployed youths, were used to receive the fraud proceeds.
