A senior citizen in Vadodara lost ₹1.28 crore to online fraudsters promising high returns on investment schemes.
Balakrishna, a resident of Alkapuri in Vadodara, reported the fraud to the cyber cell. He informed the police that on September 3, 2024, he received a message offering investment opportunities with high returns. Interested, he replied and was added to a WhatsApp group named ‘Citadel Base’. Upon opening the link, he received a WhatsApp number of Rashi Gupta, who assured him of good plans and promised to keep him informed.
On May 16, Rashi Gupta called and asked him to register with a company called Citadel Securities. Balakrishna shared his bank account details, after which an ID and password were generated. He then invested ₹44 lakh. He mentioned that his account showed a balance of ₹2 crore, prompting him to think that the investment was successful.
When he contacted Rashi Gupta, he was given various reasons to invest more money. Despite already investing ₹1.28 crore, he was asked for additional funds. However, when he later tried to withdraw the money, he was unable to do so.
Suspicious that something was wrong, Balakrishna reported the incident to the cyber cell.