ONGC staffer loses Rs 27 lakh in cyber fraud

Nagpur: An employee of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) lost Rs 27 lakh as he was allegedly duped into investing the money into the stock market in Maharashtra's Nagpur city, police said.

Based on a complaint filed by Nilesh Khapare, 35, the police registered a case against three persons, identified as Aryan Reddy, Pooja, and Jiya Shankar, they said.

Khapare, who is currently employed at the ONGC in Mumbai, came across an advertisement on a social media platform, during his stay in Nagpur, which promised 5 to 10 per cent profits on stock market investments. Upon enquiry, his phone number was added to a group and he was given an ID and password after registration, a police official said.

As per the instructions, the victim deposited Rs 26.85 lakh into the bank accounts. However, he neither received the profits nor the principal amount, he said.

An offence under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act was registered at the Yashaodhara Nagar police station, he said.