Mangaluru: A resident of Mangaluru has filed a police complaint after being conned out of ₹22,59,613 over several months in an elaborate online trading fraud.
The victim’s ordeal began on October 15, 2024, when he stumbled upon a Facebook video featuring a deepfake of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, allegedly endorsing an online trading platform. Trusting the fake promotion, he clicked the link and registered, triggering a chain of events that led to his financial loss.
He was soon contacted by a caller identifying himself as Anurag Sharma, who instructed him to transfer an initial amount of ₹12,600. Over the weeks, other individuals—Nikhil Agarwal, Thomas George, Jetting Navya, and Naveen Tiwari—also reached out, persuading him to make more investments with promises of high returns and bonus payouts.
The victim ended up transferring large sums under various pretenses such as taxes, account top-ups, penalties, and even fines for incorrect IFSC codes. In one instance, he was falsely told that ₹60,000 had been withdrawn via a foreign exchange, and that money laundering charges would follow if he didn’t pay more.
To bolster their credibility, the fraudsters used foreign phone numbers and impersonated bank officials. Transactions ranged from ₹28,400 to ₹2 lakh, eventually totaling over ₹22.5 lakh by March 2025. When no profits or withdrawals materialized, the victim realized he had been deceived.
A formal complaint has been lodged at Kankanady Town Police Station, and investigations are underway.