From friend request to ₹90 lakh fraud: Woman dupes Ahmedabad trader in forex scam

Ahmedabad: What began as a casual friendship on social media turned into a costly mistake for a trader in Ahmedabad, who was allegedly duped of ₹90.45 lakh in a sophisticated forex trading scam.

According to police, the victim, a businessman running a security agency in the Vejalpur area, came in contact with a woman identifying herself as "Komal Mehta" through social media. Presenting herself as a successful builder, she gradually built trust by showcasing her supposed earnings from forex trading and promised high returns on investment.

As conversations deepened, she persuaded the trader to try forex trading through a website link she provided. To gain his confidence, the trader initially invested ₹50,000 and received a profit of ₹5,000, which was successfully withdrawn. This small but convincing return led him to believe the platform was genuine.

Encouraged by the early gains and lured by promises of bigger profits, the trader continued investing. Over time, he transferred nearly ₹93 lakh to multiple bank accounts shared via Telegram. The invested amount appeared to grow on the platform's dashboard, further reinforcing his trust.

However, trouble began when he attempted to withdraw a larger amount. Despite repeated attempts, only ₹2.55 lakh was returned. The remaining ₹90.45 lakh was blocked under the pretext of technical issues and high processing charges. Soon after, all communication with the accused was cut off.

Realizing he had been deceived, the trader approached the Cyber Crime Police Station in Ahmedabad and filed a complaint.

Police have registered a case and are currently investigating the bank accounts used in the fraud. Authorities suspect the involvement of a larger inter-state cyber fraud gang operating behind the identity of "Komal Mehta."

Officials have urged citizens to remain cautious while interacting with strangers online and to avoid investing money based on unverifiable claims, especially in high-risk markets like forex trading.