Thrissur Rural: The Kodakara police have registered a case and launched a detailed investigation into the loss of approximately 40 lakh rupees in a cryptocurrency scam. This incident involved a native of Thrissur, Matthoor, who was misled by a stranger he met through Facebook. The scammer convinced the victim that he could earn substantial amounts of money through cryptocurrency trading.
The fraudulent scheme began when the accused, posing as a legitimate trader, directed the complainant to log into a website called www.boonbn.com, purportedly for crypto trading. The victim was then asked to deposit money into a specific bank account provided by the scammer, ostensibly for trading purposes on his mobile phone.
Initially, the complainant deposited around three lakh rupees into the given bank account, believing it was a legitimate investment. The scammer then manipulated the complainant into thinking that his investments had yielded significant profits on the website. To further the deception, the accused claimed that in order to withdraw the trading profits, the complainant needed to pay various additional charges. These included a commission fee, tax, a large channel account fee, and a Reserve Bank protection charge.
Under the belief that these payments were necessary to retrieve his profits, the complainant was coerced into making multiple deposits, which cumulatively amounted to approximately 40 lakh rupees. Each time, the scammer created a sense of urgency and legitimacy around the payments, ensuring the victim continued to transfer funds.
The elaborate ruse was designed to exploit the complainant’s trust and lack of familiarity with cryptocurrency trading. The police investigation aims to uncover the full extent of the scam, identify the perpetrators, and recover the lost funds. This case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of online scams and the importance of verifying the authenticity of investment opportunities, especially those encountered through social media.
