Chandigarh, July 27: A 46-year-old Uber driver from Sector 45D has allegedly been duped of over ₹6.58 lakh in a cryptocurrency investment scam orchestrated via the messaging app Telegram, police said on Saturday.
The victim, Bhajan Singh, filed a complaint at the Cyber Crime Police Station, stating that he was misled by individuals posing as crypto investment advisers. An FIR was subsequently registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the case has been assigned to Head Constable Dharminder Singh for investigation.
According to the FIR, Singh first connected with a Telegram user identified as @Ayushthakur_Hentor1 in December 2024. The accused introduced him to a platform called UCoin and promised profitable returns on investments in cryptocurrency.
“The scammers initially gained the victim’s trust by offering small returns on his first transactions,” a senior police official said. Singh was later directed to interact with two additional Telegram handles, from where he received UPI and bank details for fund transfers.
As Singh continued investing, the fraudsters claimed his funds were locked and insisted he deposit more money to release the previous amounts. Believing the scheme was legitimate, Singh made a series of transfers, totaling ₹6,58,417. Eventually, all communication stopped, and no returns were received.
The FIR cites offences under BNS sections 319(2) (cheating), 318(4) (identity fraud), 336(3) (forgery), 338 (criminal breach of trust), 340(2) (cyber deception), and 61(2) (fraudulent financial transaction).
The Chandigarh Cyber Cell has issued an advisory urging citizens to remain vigilant and avoid engaging with unverified financial schemes, especially on social media and messaging platforms.
“People should report such cases immediately by calling the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or visiting the nearest police station,” the official added.
