Mysuru: In separate cases, online fraudsters, who targeted a doctor, lecturer and an engineer in city, have cheated them to the tune of Rs. 49,91,000 by offering huge profits for their investments.

In the first case, a doctor from Srirampura has lost a total of Rs. 29,71,000 to online fraudsters.

The doctor, while using YouTube, clicked on the link which appeared on the screen and the doctor’s mobile phone number was added to a WhatsApp group immediately.

The doctor was then asked whether he was interested to vote for an international competition. When the doctor replied positively, he was sent a link and was told to download an app. The doctor, who downloaded the app, voted and also updated his Know Your Customer (KYC) details.

Later, the doctor was informed about Initial Public Offering (IPO) investment. Then the doctor opened an account and purchased an IPO of less investment and also got profit money. After a few days, an alert message pertaining to an IPO worth Rs. 26 lakh was sent to the doctor and was instructed to complete the tasks.

When the doctor said that he did not have such huge amount, the fraudsters told him (doctor) that he had Rs. 5 lakh in his account and the company would provide Rs. 10 lakh support fund. The fraudsters asked the doctor to arrange the remaining money. The doctor, who arranged the money, transferred Rs. 11 lakh to the account mentioned by the fraudsters.

Later, the app which the doctor had downloaded showed that he had earned 73 percent profit and when he (doctor) tried to withdraw the money, he was told to return the support fund of Rs. 10 lakh which was provided by the company.

The doctor, who somehow managed to arrange the money, transferred it but again he was also told to pay Rs. 3 lakh as tax, which he did. When the doctor asked the fraudsters to pay the profit money, his mobile phone number was removed from the WhatsApp group.

In all, the fraudsters have cheated the doctor to the tune of Rs. 29,71,000.

In the second case, a lecturer has lost a total of Rs. 13,90,000 to cyber criminals.

The lecturer, a resident of Ramakrishnanagar, while going through Facebook, came across an advertisement pertaining to stock investment and joined a WhatsApp group where she was informed about stocks, share market and also about which shares to buy to earn good profit. The fraudsters then sent a link to download a mobile app and got the lecturer registered.

The lecturer then invested Rs. 5,000 and later invested Rs. 2.55 lakh in phases. The fraudsters then provided a profit of Rs. 40,000 and the lecturer also got Rs. 11.30 lakh transferred from her friend’s account.

But when the lecturer tried to withdraw the profit, she was given an offer to invest in another app but did not receive the money.

In the third case, an engineer from Shakthinagar, who received a message on his WhastsApp pertaining to marketing promotion, was told to invest in this platform to reap huge profit.

Later, the fraudsters got the engineer invest a total of Rs. 6.30 lakh in phases without providing any profit or his investment amount, thus cheating him.

City’s Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) Crime Police have registered a case.