Mumbai: The police have arrested two persons, including a former manager of a life insurance provider and a private bank manager, for their alleged involvement in a Rs 1.5 crore investment fraud targeting a 68-year-old retired bank manager from Navi Mumbai. The complainant was allegedly lured through a Facebook video promising Rs 30 lakh returns on an investment of Rs 22,000 and persuaded to invest in foreign crude oil trading through an online platform.Those arrested are Shweta Vikal Gupta (41), employed with a life insurance provider, and Yogesh Vivekananda Desai (46), from Bhandup (W), employed with a private bank. The complainant is a retired bank manager who came across a Facebook video purportedly featuring Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, promising returns of Rs 30 lakh within a month on an investment of Rs 22,000. After clicking the link and submitting his personal details, he began receiving calls from several international mobile numbers.One caller allegedly introduced himself as a representative of a stock trading platform called Savexa and persuaded Salve to invest in foreign crude oil trading, claiming that the ongoing Iran-US conflict would create opportunities for higher profits. The caller subsequently shared a website link and asked Salve to submit his Aadhaar and PAN card details. Salve initially transferred Rs 20,621 and another Rs 10 lakh based on a call from e Zain, claiming to be an investment fund manager. The accused allegedly continued to contact him, inducing him to make further investments by promising higher returns. The complainant transferred a total of Rs 1.5 crore between April 8 and June 19.
