Bank Manager Loses Rs 21 Lakh Due to Scammers in Fake Online Trading Groups – Stay Alert

An Assistant Bank Manager fell victim to an online investment scam and lost a whopping Rs 21,000 after the scammers convinced him that he was investing guaranteed profit in the e-commerce market.

As reported by The Times of India, the Assistant Bank Manager in question, Nishi Verma, works at Union Bank of India’s Sitapur District Branch. Verma was on leave when the incident happened. The woman is said to be planning to start investing in the e-commerce market and was added to a Facebook group by scammers on December 1, 2023.

“After joining, the group members shared their success stories and the admin lured her with the promise of VIP services and guaranteed profits in online shopping, prompting her to join more social media groups and open an account,” her husband Dileep Verma said. written by TOI.

The woman then fell for the scam and before she realized what was happening, the fraudsters convinced her to invest between Rs 21,000 and Rs 50,000 between December 1, 2023 and January 2024.

Her husband also mentioned that he had to combine his bank account before starting investments. This raised a doubt in his mind, which made him doubt about joining the said group. However, the scammers eventually managed to dupe him successfully.

Now a complaint has been lodged at the Kotwali City Police Station and an FIR under Section 420 (fraud and dishonesty) and 66-D of the Information Technology Act IPC was registered.

Shlok Kumar, SSP Bulandshahar, spoke on the matter, “If a suspicious message comes from an unknown number, it is best to block that user and report it to the police.”

How to be safe?

Please note that genuine individuals will not contact you to invest on Facebook or any social media platform, especially when they promise unrealistic returns on investment.

Also, if someone contacts you offering jobs or investment opportunities with little effort, be careful as they may be scammers trying to get money from you.

Another important point to remember is that you should never share your personal information, ID cards or financial information with anyone, as it can be misused for identity theft and manipulation of others.