Man duped of ₹22 lakh in Telegram-based investment scam

Lucknow: A Sarojini Nagar resident was duped of over Rs 22 lakh by cyber fraudsters who lured him into a fake investment scheme operated through Telegram groups and a fraudulent trading platform, police said. According to a complaint filed at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Daliganj, the victim first came in contact with one Ayush at Lucknow airport on Jan 17, 2025. Ayush later connected with him on Telegram and gradually introduced him to an investment opportunity promising high returns. In October, the victim was added to a Telegram group, “Work Group-8,” where he was initially assigned simple online tasks such as posting restaurant reviews. He received small payments, including Rs 150 and later returns on Rs 1,000 deposits, which helped build trust.Police said the fraudsters then directed him to register on a website, coin13789.cc, and persuaded him to invest larger amounts. Over time, he deposited money in multiple instalments through various UPI IDs and bank accounts.Though his account showed a balance exceeding Rs 3 lakh, withdrawals were repeatedly blocked on the pretext of technical issues. The accused demanded additional payments to “unlock” funds, prompting the victim to transfer more money. In all, the victim was duped of Rs 22 lakh.