Nagpur Bitcoin Scam : Engineering Company Owner Loses Rs 65.65 Lakh
Nagpur: In yet another instance of cyber fraud, a 45-year-old engineering company owner from Ayodhya Nagar, Mahesh Dnyaneshwar Nighde, was swindled out of Rs 65.65 lakh through a fraudulent Bitcoin investment scheme. The Nagpur police have registered a case against four individuals, including one Kartik Sivaswamy, based on Nighde’s complaint.
The scam unfolded on September 6 when Nighde came across an advertisement for ‘Vitamag Forex Trading’ while browsing Facebook. Intrigued, he clicked on the link and soon received an email detailing an enticing Bitcoin investment opportunity. Following the instructions, he registered on the website and downloaded an app. Shortly after, he was contacted by Kartik Sivaswamy, who persuaded him to install the Skype app for further communication.
Nighde, lured by the promise of high returns, transferred Rs 42.82 lakh in multiple payments from different accounts. The app initially showed his investment ballooning to Rs 1.99 crore, but when he attempted to withdraw his funds, he encountered obstacles.
On September 20, Nighde received a call from another individual, Lukas Altries, who claimed that an additional payment of 10,124 US dollars (approximately Rs 10 lakh) was needed to “unblock” his funds. Desperate to recover his investment, Nighde transferred the amount from his wife’s account. However, the scammers continued to make excuses, citing a lost "code," and the funds remained inaccessible.
Realizing he had been duped, Nighde approached the police and filed a complaint. The Nagpur police have launched an investigation and registered a case against Kartik Sivaswamy and three others under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act.
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