Surat, August 12: The Cyber Crime Cell of Gujarat has arrested two individuals from Junagadh in connection with a significant online share trading fraud. The case involves a scam where a victim was defrauded of ₹42.98 lakh.
During the investigation, authorities discovered links to three other cyber fraud cases across various states, with total losses exceeding ₹4 crore.
According to the Cyber Crime Cell, the accused allegedly created a WhatsApp group, enticing the victim with promises of high profits to set up a trading ID. The victim transferred a total of ₹42,98,934 to various bank accounts under the guise of share trading. When the money was not returned, the victim reported the incident to the Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930.
Charges have been filed under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008. Following directives from senior officials, Police Inspector A.M. Mori formed a team to trace the fraudsters. The team conducted a technical investigation and apprehended the two suspects in Junagadh.
The first suspect has been identified as 33-year-old Gautamkumar Lathegar, a daily wage laborer with an education up to the ninth grade. He resides near RK Apartment on Jawahar Road in Junagadh. Police revealed that ₹2 lakh linked to the case was transferred to Gautamkumar’s account, which also recorded transactions totaling ₹18,49,552 from his Union Bank of India account.
Authorities allege that Gautamkumar provided his bank account to co-accused Sachinkumar Teta in exchange for a commission, which was then used in the cyber fraud.
The second suspect, 42-year-old Sachinkumar Teta, is a real estate broker with a 12th-grade education, living in the Meghani Nagar area of Junagadh. Police stated that Sachinkumar allowed a fugitive to use Gautamkumar’s bank account for cyber fraud, receiving a commission of ₹15,000 in return.
During the investigation, police traced one suspect’s bank account through a coordination portal, revealing connections to three other cybercrime complaints across the country. The total amount defrauded from victims in these cases was ₹4,03,00,157.
The Cyber Crime Cell has advised the public to be cautious of unsolicited messages promising high returns on forex trading, share trading, or cryptocurrency investments. They recommend verifying the authenticity of such claims before engaging.
Additionally, if added to a WhatsApp or Telegram group by an unknown number, individuals should leave the group immediately and block the number. Police warn against investing large sums after initial small profits, as cybercriminals often use this tactic to gain trust.
Furthermore, the public is urged to avoid trusting strangers met on social media or matrimonial websites and sending them money.
– A.M.T./D.K.P.
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