81-Year-Old Thane Man Loses ₹86.9 Lakh in Cryptocurrency Investment Scam

An 81-year-old senior citizen from Ghodbunder Road in Thane has lost ₹86.9 lakh after falling victim to a cryptocurrency investment scam. Thane Cyber Police have registered a case and begun a detailed investigation.

According to the police, the fraud began in June when the victim received a Facebook friend request from a woman named Leela Gupta. After he accepted the request, their chats moved from Facebook Messenger to WhatsApp. After a few days of friendly conversations, Gupta introduced him to an investment scheme in USDT (Tether), promising “very high and guaranteed” profits.

The fraudsters guided the senior citizen in creating an account on a fake online trading platform. Believing Gupta’s claims, the victim made several transfers between June 20 and August 21. The transactions ranged from ₹40,000 to ₹13 lakh, all sent to multiple bank accounts provided by Gupta and her associates.

The fake platform showed increasing “profits,” which encouraged the victim to invest more. Eventually, the total money he transferred reached ₹86.9 lakh. The platform displayed a balance of 2.76 lakh USDT, giving the impression that his investment had grown.

However, when the victim tried to withdraw 75,000 USDT, the system rejected his request. The fraudsters then claimed he needed to deposit a 30% “risk assessment security fee” before withdrawing any amount.

When the senior citizen said he could not afford such a large sum, Gupta told him her uncle would pay ₹30 lakh on his behalf and asked him to contribute ₹10 lakh. The victim paid the amount. Later, he was asked to deposit another ₹8 lakh. When he refused, Gupta claimed she would pay ₹40 lakh herself—another lie.

Soon after, all communication stopped, and the victim realized he had been cheated.

He quickly contacted the National Cyber Helpline 1930 and filed a complaint with Thane Cyber Police. Officers are now tracing bank accounts, digital transactions, and mobile numbers used in the scam.

Police have once again urged citizens—especially senior citizens—to be cautious of online investment offers, particularly those promising high returns.