Udupi: In yet another alarming case of cyber fraud, a 41-year-old man from Udupi has reportedly fallen prey to an online investment scam and lost Rs 29,68,973.

According to a complaint filed at the Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) Crime Police Station, the victim, identified as Chandrakant, was contacted on September 11 via Telegram by a user operating under the handle @Anjana_198_off. The sender claimed to represent Royal Mint, described as an official UK government organisation, and promised high returns through investments in gold, silver coins, and bars, as reported by Deccan Herald on Thursday.

The message lured the victim with the offer of becoming a “gold bidder,” promising daily earnings ranging between Rs 1,500 and Rs 5,000 by simply using a mobile phone or laptop.

Convinced by the promise of quick profits, Chandrakant agreed to join and was provided with a link to a platform supposedly run by Royal Mint.

Between September 18 and October 10, he transferred a total of Rs 29,68,973 to multiple bank accounts shared by the fraudsters. However, he neither received any profits nor got his money back.

Realising he had been cheated, Chandrakant approached the CEN police, who have registered a case under Sections 66(c) and 66(d) of the Information Technology Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

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Lucknow (PTI): Pacer Akash Singh caught the eye with his unique celebration during Lucknow Super Giants' win over Chennai Super Kings, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket after a wicket, a gesture he said was aimed at "motivating" himself and "asserting dominance" over batters.

The left-arm pacer pulled out a scrappy piece of paper after each of the three wickets he took in LSG seven-wicket win over CSK, with the message reading: "Akki on fire -- Akash knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket.

The 24-year-old, who began his IPL journey with Rajasthan Royals and was part of Chennai Super Kings’ title-winning campaign in 2023 before moving to Lucknow Super Giants, registered his best IPL figures with 3 for 26 on Friday.

"'Akki knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket', right?" Akash said when asked about the message on the piece of paper, adding that it serves as a source of motivation and helps him focus on dominating batters and delivering stronger performances for the team.

"Different things motivate different people. Some days I show the paper, some days I don't, but it reflects my mindset on that particular day. When you carry a piece of paper with something written on it, you manifest things and the most important part is when those manifestations actually materialise," he added.

Akash, who hails from Bharatpur in Rajasthan, said the strong backing from the Lucknow Super Giants support staff over the last two years had played a huge role in his growth as a cricketer.

"I've been with LSG for two years and the most important thing has been the backing from the coaches, even when I'm not in the playing XI. This year we have Bharat Arun sir, last year Zaheer sir was there...Tom Moody. The way they guide us, prepare us and keep us ready for opportunities is very important when there are 25 players in the squad," he said.

"When you are not playing, you naturally seek backing and every player wants to make the most of the opportunities he gets. The support from the captain also matters a lot and with Rishabh bhaiya backing you, the confidence grows and you are able to perform better," Akash said, referring to Rishabh Pant.

Akash said Pant had asked him to trust his strengths ahead of the clash against CSK.

"He told me that the new ball is my strength and that I can swing it both ways. So I just tried to make the best use of my skills. The wicket also had good bounce, so I focused on using the bouncer effectively,” added Akash.

On his success against CSK, Akash said his experience of playing in the IPL since 2020, including a stint with CSK, helped him understand the opposition batters better, while backing his own strengths with the ball also played a key role in his impressive spell.

"Obviously, when you play in the IPL and have shared the dressing room with some players, you understand their strengths and weaknesses. My focus was first to back my own strengths, then exploit their weaknesses and also make the best use of what the wicket was offering," Akash said.

Akash said he had sensed over the last two-three games that an opportunity could come his way after being repeatedly told to "be ready", though he admitted he was unfortunate not to get a chance earlier.

"Two days before the match, during practice, I was told to be ready," he said.

Clarifying that he had not been carrying the piece of paper in anticipation, Akash said he often notes down thoughts that could help improve his game..

"Whenever I’m alone or about to sleep, any thought that comes to my mind which can help my cricket, I write it down. The other night I got this thought and jotted it down on paper," he added.