Two duped of 31 lakh in investment fraud

Kolkata: A 48-year-old manager employed in a sandal manufacturing unit in Beniapukur and his employer have allegedly been swindled of Rs 31.2 lakh by a woman who befriended the manager on a popular matrimonial portal.The Kolkata Police registered a case at the Beniapukur Police Station following a formal complaint by the resident of Jannagar Road, who claimed he was lured into a sophisticated digital investment trap that began in Dec 2025.According to investigators, the victim encountered a woman identifying herself as Shahnaz Khan on the ‘Nikha Forever' matrimonial site. Khan allegedly claimed to be an employee of a Hyderabad-based trading firm, Century Market, and gradually induced the victim to start small-scale trading on a digital platform.The fraudsters initially allowed him to withdraw profits. The victim persuaded his employer too to join the venture. The accused advised the victim that a total investment of Rs 30 lakh would qualify him as a "premium client". The victim was encouraged to apply for a "loan" of US $25,000 Once the loan was "approved" and credited to his virtual account, the platform abruptly froze all withdrawal requests, notifying the victim that he must first repay the loan amount in full to access any of his original funds.