Ahmedabad, March 15: A businessman from Gujarat, identified as Desai, fell victim to an online scam, losing a staggering Rs 95 lakh. The ordeal began when Desai accepted a Facebook friend request from a woman named Steff Mhiz.

According to a report in India Today, as their online friendship grew, Mhiz introduced a business opportunity involving the purchase and sale of herbal products. Desai was led to believe that he could buy these products for Rs 1 lakh per packet and sell them to Mhiz’s company for double the price. Online Scam in Mumbai: Cyber Fraudsters Dupe 46-Year-Old Businessman of Rs 8.43 Lakh After Posing As Police; Second Such Incident in Two Days.

Desai agreed to the proposition and was introduced to a Dr Virendra, who facilitated the procurement process. Trusting their words, Desai transferred Rs 1 lakh to Virendra’s account for a sample packet of the herbal products. Online Scam in Gurugram: Fraudsters Pose as Cops, Dupe Man of Rs 56 Lakh; Investigation Underway.

However, as Virendra continued to demand more payments, Desai’s suspicions grew. When he confronted Virendra and demanded a refund, both Virendra and Mhiz disappeared. Upon opening the sample packets, Desai discovered they contained nothing more than fried chips and powdered substances.

Realising he had been scammed, Desai filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime police station. The investigation is ongoing.

In another news, a 53-year-old Nagpur man was duped of ₹23 lakh by cyber criminals on the pretext of high returns on investments in the stock market between January 15 and March 6.

Complainant Subhash Kumar Shahu, a resident of Rukhmini Nagar, was added to a WhatsApp group by an unidentified person. The person later called Shahu and asked him to make investments in the share market to get lucrative returns. Shahu invested the money after clicking on a link sent by the accused but did not get any returns.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 15, 2024 11:40 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).