Bengaluru: Two individuals have reported to the police that they have collectively lost about ₹95 lakh to cyber fraudsters after falling prey to fake videos allegedly featuring two prominent businessmen.
In both cases, the complainants failed to verify the authenticity of the alleged videos and ended up clicking on suspicious links that led them to fraudulent websites created by scammers promising higher returns on investments. “According to the complainants, it was only after investing in these social media platforms that they realized the alleged videos featuring Infosys co-founder N. R. Narayana Murthy and Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani were used to lure them into suspicious links. Without conducting due diligence, they ended up investing only to discover that they were being cheated using fake videos of such personalities,” a senior police officer stated.
In the first case, a resident of Banashankari encountered a video promoting a trading platform that promised high returns on investments. The woman clicked on the link to a suspicious-looking website and shared her details with the alleged platform. Subsequently, she received a call from an unidentified man claiming to be an agent associated with the platform, who convinced her to make investments for higher returns. Initially, she invested around ₹1.4 lakh and received returns of ₹8,000. However, when she invested ₹6.7 lakh a second time, she did not receive any returns and lost the entire amount. She was also defrauded of ₹67 lakh by another platform.
In a similar case, a retired employee became a victim after watching a video on a social media platform promoting a trading platform with promises of high returns. He lost ₹19 lakh after transferring the amount to two different bank accounts provided by the fraudsters. Once the money was transferred, he received no further communication. “The fraudsters may have used videos of these personalities, which were originally meant for their general meetings or for stakeholders, and misused them to deceive unsuspecting individuals. Trusting the alleged videos, the victims clicked on fake websites created by fraudsters, leading them into trouble,” the officer said. Two separate cases have been registered at the CEN (Cyber Economic and Narcotics) South police station, and an investigation is underway to track down the culprits involved in the scam.
