Hyderabad man duped of ₹27 lakh in online trading scam
Hyderabad: A 38-year-old man from Hyderabad was cheated of over ₹27 lakh in an online stock market trading scam, police said.
The victim came across a trading-related advertisement on Facebook and contacted the persons behind it. The fraudsters posed as stock market traders and added him to a WhatsApp group where several people, claiming to be experts and assuring high profits and quick returns, convinced him to invest money.
“Initially, the victim was asked to download a mobile application called ADVPMA for trading. At first, he invested ₹10,000 and received profits. He thought it was a good idea to invest more money. Over time, he transferred a total of ₹27.05 lakh,” NDTV quoted the cybercrime DCP as saying.
ALSO READ: Detaining authority didn't apply mind, relied on irrelevant material: Sonam Wangchuk's wife to SC
The application continued to show a balance of ₹81.69 lakh, including profits. However, when the victim attempted to withdraw the amount, the withdrawal option was blocked.
“The people running the WhatsApp group then demanded an additional ₹50 lakh, claiming it was needed for processing and taxes,” the cybercrime officer said.
Realising he had been cheated, the victim approached the Hyderabad police and lodged a complaint. A case has been registered and an investigation is under way.
Authorities have advised reporting such frauds immediately to the cybercrime helpline 1930 or through the official cybercrime portal.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka: Commercial Taxes Dept busts Rs 410 crore GST fraud network, arrests one
Bengaluru (PTI): The Commercial Taxes Department on Wednesday said it has arrested a man involved in generating and routing fraudulent ITC across multiple states and has unearthed a GST fraud worth Rs 410 crore.
In a statement, the Commercial Taxes Department said its Enforcement Wing (south zone) arrested Mohammed Tauqeer (42) when he attempted to abscond.
“Mohammed Tauqeer has been arrested for his active role in floating bogus firms and facilitating large-scale fake Input Tax Credit transactions. The accused was produced before the Special Court for Economic Offences here, which remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days,” the department said.
Further investigation has revealed that Mohammed Tauqeer and his accomplice, Shaik Jakeer Hussain, alias Basha, are the principal masterminds operating behind the network, it said.
It added that the duo had floated multiple bogus business entities and systematically issued fake tax invoices without actual supply of goods, thereby generating and passing fraudulent ITC to entities in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
The investigation has revealed that the accused routed fake ITC to various entities, including previously arrested operatives, who in turn passed it on to works contractors and traders for offsetting their tax liabilities.
This mechanism enabled beneficiaries to discharge tax liabilities through ineligible ITC instead of cash payments, causing a significant loss to the government exchequer.
“The financial magnitude attributable to this network is Rs 410 crore in fraudulent transactions involving wrongful ITC of Rs 102.5 crore,” the department said.
The statement said the modus operandi adopted by the accused reflects a well-structured and evolving pattern, involving frequent creation and cancellation of GST registrations within short durations, continuous changes of mobile numbers and bank accounts, operation through multiple-layered entities, and functioning in isolated silos to evade detection.
The accused are originally from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, with Mohammed Tauqeer currently residing in Bengaluru and Basha operating from Andhra Pradesh.
“Despite sustained efforts over the past month, Shaik Jakeer Hussain managed to flee overseas and remains absconding,” the department said.
Efforts are underway to trace and secure him through appropriate legal channels, it added.
