In a span of just 10 days in March, three individuals, including two elderly victims, were duped by cyber criminals, resulting in a staggering loss of over Rs 1 crore each in southeast Bengaluru. The total amount stolen reached Rs 3.9 crore. The police have registered three FIRs between March 16 and 26 at the Southeast CEN police station.

One victim, a 41-year-old man, was swindled out of Rs 1.7 crore after being added to a WhatsApp group named “ACI Stratergy Club.” The fraudsters coerced him into downloading a malicious app via an APK file, under the guise of providing stock market investment advice.

Another case involved an 83-year-old man who lost Rs 1.1 crore. He had joined a WhatsApp group called “QuantasAIS,” where scammers, posing as fellow investors, tricked him into downloading a similar fraudulent app. They manipulated him with fake profit reports, pressuring him to invest further.

The third case revolved around a 67-year-old woman, who found that her savings of Rs 1.1 crore were wiped out through UPI transactions. She had deposited the money after selling property but noticed only Rs 300 left in her account. Investigators are considering whether OTP fraud could have been involved.

Authorities are cautioning the public to remain vigilant about investment schemes and be wary of downloading unknown apps to avoid falling victim to similar scams.