Chandigarh man duped of over Rs 6 lakh in Telegram-based crypto investment fraud

A 46-year-old resident of Sector 45D, Chandigarh, has reportedly been defrauded of Rs 6.58 lakh in a cryptocurrency scam operated via Telegram. The FIR was lodged at the Cyber Crime Police Station on Saturday, following a complaint by Bhajan Singh, a local Uber driver, who said he was lured into investing in a fake crypto scheme.

According to the FIR, Singh first came into contact with an individual using the Telegram handle @Ayushthakur_Hentor1 in December 2024. The accused allegedly convinced him to invest in cryptocurrency through a platform called UCoin. Singh was assigned various tasks and was further directed to two other Telegram handles, where he was provided UPI and bank details for fund transfers.

Initially, the fraudsters sent him small returns to gain his trust. However, soon they claimed his money was on hold and pressured him to invest larger sums to unlock it. Over time, Singh transferred a total of Rs 6,58,417. Eventually, all contact ceased and no returns were received.

An FIR has been registered under multiple Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections 319(2), 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340(2), and 61(2). Investigation has been handed over to Head Constable Dharminder Singh.

The Cyber Cell has urged citizens to exercise caution and report such frauds promptly to the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or the nearest police station.