Kolkata: A Beniapukur family was cheated of more than Rs 71.5 lakh in an online investment scam. The victim was contacted on WhatsApp on April 15 by people claiming to work for a UK-based firm called ‘Social Venture Capitalist’. They promised high profits through online trading.The man initially invested $200 through UPI and the fake trading platform showed false profits, making him believe the investment was successful. He later transferred Rs 51.5 lakh to different merchant accounts given by the fraudsters. His 20-year-old son was also persuaded to transfer Rs 18 lakh from his account.When the family tried to withdraw his money and profits, the scammers blocked the withdrawal and demanded more money for taxes, currency conversion, and AML clearance.One of the accused also pretended to help by depositing Rs 2 lakh using one of the victim’s accounts. Later, the fake platform froze the account, claiming a third-party payment had broken the rules.The victim realised he had been cheated and filed a police complaint.
