Youth Loses ₹3.3 Lakh in Crypto-Gold Investment Scam in Kashipur

Cases of cyber fraud are rising rapidly in Uttarakhand, and a new incident has been reported from the Kashipur tehsil area of Udham Singh Nagar district. A young man from Paiga village lost more than ₹3 lakh after falling victim to an online scam run through Facebook.

According to the complaint, the victim had accepted a Facebook friend request from a woman named Prakriti Mehra. While chatting, she claimed to run a company called Orchids Designing Studio and said she earned high profits by investing in crypto and gold. To win his trust, she even sent screenshots of her supposed earnings.

On 27 October, the woman video-called him on WhatsApp and convinced him to invest in crypto trading. Trusting her, the youth transferred ₹10,000 to her via UPI on 31 October. She then made him download a specific app, helped him create an account, and assured him that he could make quick profits.

Soon after, she asked him to speak with a man named “Sir Alok,” who introduced himself as a trading expert. Alok told the youth to buy USDT (Tether) and begin trading. He also claimed he would take a 30% commission on profits. Believing them, the youth started following their instructions.

Between 31 October and 9 November, more than ₹3,31,980 was withdrawn from his two bank accounts through multiple transactions. During this period, the accused kept pressuring him to invest more money.

When the young man began asking for details about his profits, both individuals started avoiding him. This made him suspicious, and he soon realised he had been cheated. He then filed a written complaint at the ITI police station, requesting strict action and recovery of his money.

According to the police, a case has been registered against unknown cyber fraudsters. The Cyber Cell is now assisting in tracing the accused.

Police have once again urged the public not to trust unknown people on social media and to avoid investing money through unverified apps and platforms.