Ernakulam Rural Crime Branch Arrests Man for ₹1.25 Crore Online Trading Scam
In a significant breakthrough, the Ernakulam Rural Crime Branch has detained Vijay Sonkhar, a 27-year-old man from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, for allegedly defrauding a woman from Aluva of ₹1.25 crore through false promises of high returns from online trading. The woman was reportedly ensnared via social media where Sonkhar, posing as an investor, initially offered substantial profits on smaller investments to build her trust.
The victim, convinced by the initial returns, progressively invested larger amounts, transferring the funds to various bank accounts. Sonkhar manipulated her by showing bogus online pages displaying her supposed growing returns. Over time, her total investment amounted to ₹1.25 crore. However, when she attempted to withdraw her money, Sonkhar vanished from social media, and his contact number went inactive.
Frustrated, the woman lodged a complaint with Ernakulam Rural District Police Chief Vaibhav Saxena, who transferred the investigation to the Crime Branch. A special team was formed, which traced Sonkhar to an address in Ahmedabad. After days of discreet surveillance, the team arrested him.
Investigations revealed that Sonkhar ran a fraudulent trading company, complete with a Goods and Services Tax (GST) licence and a bank current account. His account showed transactions worth crores of rupees. “Despite our continuous advisories against such online trading frauds promising exorbitant profits, we still receive numerous complaints. People should stay cautious,” said Mr. Saxena.
The arrest was executed by a team led by DySP T.M. Varghese, Sub-Inspectors A.K. Santhosh Kumar and T.K. Varghese, and Assistant Sub-Inspector V.N. Sijo. Their meticulous efforts highlight the importance of vigilance against online financial scams.
Original Story https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/man-accused-of-cheating-woman-through-online-trading-arrested/article68577218.ece
Category : Kerala
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