U N Mehta Hospital Doctor Allegedly Trapped Through Fake Forex Trading Scheme on Telegram
An assistant professor associated with U N Mehta Hospital has allegedly fallen victim to a Forex and cryptocurrency investment scam operated through Telegram, losing nearly Rs 70,000 to cyber fraudsters posing as professional traders.
The victim, who works in the Cardiac Anaesthesia department and resides at the postgraduate hostel of the hospital in Asarwa, was reportedly lured through an online investment group named “Trade Like Berlin”, which frequently shared content related to Forex trading, cryptocurrency investments, and stock market opportunities.
According to the complaint, the doctor received a direct message on Telegram on April 27 from a person identifying himself as “Berlin”. The accused allegedly claimed to be an experienced Forex trader and convinced the victim that short-term currency trading investments could generate exceptionally high returns within hours.
Trusting the claims, the doctor first transferred Rs 50,000 through UPI to an account linked with the ID “rajbairwa211@axl”. Soon after, he was allegedly persuaded to send an additional Rs 20,000 to another UPI account, taking the total investment to Rs 70,000.
Investigators said the fraudsters continued communicating with the victim after receiving the money and shared fake trading dashboards, fabricated profit screenshots, and forged digital invoices. These documents allegedly showed that the investment had rapidly increased to more than Rs 3 lakh, creating the illusion of successful trading activity.
The scam reportedly escalated when the accused demanded an additional payment of over Rs 50,000 as GST and processing charges to release the so-called profit amount. The fraudsters allegedly claimed the charges were mandatory for withdrawal and assured the victim that the returns would be credited immediately after payment.
The repeated demands for extra money eventually raised suspicion. After consulting acquaintances, the doctor realised it was likely a cyber fraud and immediately contacted the national cybercrime helpline 1930. A complaint was also filed on the official cybercrime reporting portal before approaching the police.
Cybercrime officials stated that Telegram-based investment scams involving Forex trading, cryptocurrencies, and stock market schemes have witnessed a sharp rise in recent months. Fraudsters often use fake testimonials, manipulated profit charts, and professional-looking investment groups to gain victims’ trust and push them into making repeated payments.
Cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Triveni Singh reportedly warned that such frauds are driven by social engineering tactics, where scammers exploit greed, urgency, and trust developed through social media interactions. He also highlighted that encrypted platforms like Telegram are increasingly being used for cyber fraud due to the anonymity they provide.
Police have registered a case against unidentified individuals under relevant sections of cyber fraud and the Information Technology Act. Authorities are now tracing UPI transactions, Telegram accounts, and banking records to identify those involved in the racket.
Investigators suspect that similar organised cyber fraud networks may be targeting professionals and young investors across multiple cities in India.
