A cyber fraud case has once again highlighted the dangers of fake online investment schemes after a 35-year-old school teacher and her family lost ₹45 lakh while trying to recover losses from an earlier cybercrime incident.
According to a complaint filed with the East CEN Police, the teacher, a resident of Kamaraj Road, said her husband had previously been cheated in a cyberfraud, leaving the family with heavy financial debt. To repay the earlier losses, they had taken a gold loan and started looking for investment opportunities that promised higher returns.
In November 2025, the couple came across an investment application through social media. The operators of the app promised exceptionally high returns, convincing the family to invest. Trusting these claims, the couple took additional personal loans and transferred money from the husband’s bank account to multiple beneficiary accounts provided by the fraudsters.
Between November 2025 and February 20, 2026, the family allegedly transferred a total of ₹45,00,000. However, when they tried to withdraw their investment and the promised profits, they were unable to access the application. They also discovered that all contact numbers linked to the operators had either been switched off or blocked.
After realising they had been cheated, the family registered a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. The complainant stated that mental stress and work pressure delayed her from approaching the police to file a formal complaint.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case on Friday and launched an investigation to identify the fraudsters, trace the money trail, and take appropriate legal action. Further investigation is underway.
A senior cybercrime investigator said the case serves as a reminder that cybercriminals often lure victims with promises of unrealistic returns. The official also noted that people who have previously faced online fraud may become targets again while trying to recover their earlier financial losses.
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