Four Vizagites duped of over ₹2 crore in online gaming, betting scams

Visakhapatnam: Four people from Visakhapatnam lost ₹2.14 crore in separate incidents after fraudsters persuaded them to invest in online gaming and betting platforms.In the first case, a 30-year-old engineer said he received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number, with its user posing as a representative of online betting platforms Beta777 and SAT Sports. The complainant alleged that the accused had offered him a 10% to 15% bonus on deposits made on online betting platforms.Police said the complainant, who had been under financial strain, was tempted by the offer and decided to invest in the online betting platforms with the hope of creating another stream of income. The fraudster created a user ID in the victim’s name after he deposited some amount, and sent him a link to a page that showed his 'investment’ and ‘bonus’ earned.The fraudster also introduced the complainant to multiple websites, including Gold9.com, On777bet.com, Reddy369.com, and others, to invest. At first, the returns looked good, leading the engineer to assume they were genuine. He was encouraged to make bigger deposits with promises of huge bonuses.Expecting good returns, the complainant borrowed money from his friends and relatives and invested in one of the platforms, without realising that he was only sinking further into debt. Initially, the fraudster kept calling and offering him incentives. “But when I tried to withdraw large amounts, I could not. The fraudster stopped taking my calls,” the complainant said.The victim lost over ₹1.56 crore, and he faced harassment from loan agents and friends over repayment. Unable to repay the debts and with his financial situation worsening, he finally lodged a complaint with the cybercrime police station in Vizag city.In the second case, three people from the city, lured by promises of high and quick returns, lost over ₹58 lakh after investing in an online gaming platform. At first, they received some returns, but were later ghosted after investing more.The cybercrime police have issued a public advisory following a sharp increase in online investment frauds, wherein citizens have been duped by scammers posing as financial advisors on social media platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp. The police have registered cases in both incidents, and investigation is underway.