As many as 19 members of one faily have been booked by Maharashtra's Thane police on charges of allegedly duping siblings of a whopping Rs 1.17 crore. According to information received, a case was filed against the family members after a man approached the Thane Police, accusing the family of convincing him to invest a large sum in a cryptocurrency scheme, promising high returns on the investment.
The victim added that when he complained about not getting the money back — Rs 91.53 lakh that he invested and Rs 25.69 lakh that his brother invested, beginning in March 2022 — the accused family members began giving evasive responses. He also alleged that the family threatened him, claiming they had connections with influential people. After this, the victim approached the police.
Based on the complaint, a case was registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act, 1999, against Sabir Yakub Ghachi (50), Shakir Yakub Ghachi (45), Ruhiha Shakir Ghachi (39), and several other family members. Although no arrests have been made so far, the police said an investigation is currently underway.
Earlier, a 42-year-old man from Mumbai also allegedly lost nearly Rs 60 lakh in a cryptocurrency investment scam.
According to reports, the complainant, who works as a deputy manager at a private industrial company, received an unsolicited message from a Facebook user named Dev Gadhvi. The user inquired about the complainant's investments, and after learning he was burdened with loans, the alleged scammer recommended he invest in cryptocurrency using the 'BYBIT' mobile app, promising good returns.
Believing the claim, the complainant initially invested in 800 Tether (USDT) (equivalent to Rs 67,000), which soon showed a profit value of Rs 22.55 lakh. Encouraged by this, the victim continued to invest for two months and saw a USDT balance equivalent to Rs 67 lakh in his foreign bank account. However, when he attempted to withdraw the funds to his Indian bank account, he was asked to pay various fees. Despite paying these, no money was transferred to his account, leading him to realize he had been defrauded.
