Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Oct 25: Goa Cyber Crime Police have arrested two men from Maharashtra for allegedly cheating a 60-year-old Porvorim resident of Rs 39.01 lakh through a fraudulent online share investment scheme.

The accused, Sagar Prakash Dholvi and Ajinkya Ravindra Abhang, were arrested on October 23 and 24, respectively. Both hail from Narayangaon and Alephata areas of Pune district in Maharashtra.

Superintendent of Police (Cyber Crime) Jivba Dalvi said a case was registered on October 3 following a complaint from the victim, who alleged that he had been cheated of Rs 39,01,047 between August 21 and September 28.

According to police, the accused contacted the complainant through WhatsApp and persuaded him to invest in an online share trading scheme. The victim transferred money to multiple bank accounts after being shown fictitious profits on a fraudulent investment application.

When he attempted to withdraw his investment and the purported profits, the accused allegedly demanded additional payments before stopping all communication with him.

The investigation revealed that Rs 10.8 lakh had been transferred to a bank account linked to Abhang, while Rs 12 lakh had gone to Dholvi's account, Dalvi said. Police have secured Rs 23.12 lakh belonging to the complainant, the official added.

The arrests were made under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act following an investigation by the Goa Cyber Crime Police team led by Sub-Inspector Anil Polekar.

Police have urged the public to exercise caution when dealing with investment offers circulated through social media platforms and messaging applications, particularly those promising guaranteed or unusually high returns.

People who suspect they have been targeted by cyber financial fraud should immediately call the national cybercrime helpline at 1930 or report the incident through the official portal, National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, police said.