From Gunpoint Robbery to ₹3.49 Cr Scam: India’s Crypto Crime Crisis

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Key Highlights

  • Delhi Police nabbed seven criminals in 48 hours after a student was robbed over a dodgy crypto deal.
  • Rourkela police exposed a ₹3.49 crore crypto scam, with 96 victims spread across multiple states. Oh, the charm of digital fraud!
  • In Hyderabad, a businessman got scammed for ₹2.65 crore by a celebrity imposter. Because why not impersonate a Bollywood star when you can steal millions?

Crypto crimes in India? Oh, they’ve evolved. Gone are the days of just online scams – now we’re seeing armed robberies, frauds worth crores, and social media becoming a breeding ground for con artists. From Delhi to Odisha, it’s clear: digital assets aren’t just a way to invest, they’re now a way to rob you blind. How fun!

Delhi student robbed at gunpoint over “cheap crypto” offer

In a twist nobody saw coming, a student from NSIT Dwarka was robbed at gunpoint after he thought he was getting a crypto deal of the century. Spoiler alert: It wasn’t. On February 22, the student, who had just received a ₹2 lakh scholarship, decided to invest in USDT after spotting an Instagram ad promising crypto cheaper than the market rate. Yeah, definitely a deal worth risking your life for!

After some WhatsApp messages (because that’s how all serious investments are made, right?), the student was lured to a shady spot near Paschim Vihar East Metro. What followed? A real-life hold-up. One criminal jumped into his car, gun in hand, while a gang of five surrounded him like they were in an action movie. They made off with ₹1.83 lakh in cash.

But here’s where it gets spicy: Delhi Police cracked the case in just 48 hours using CCTV footage. They arrested Amit, also known as “Racer” (a nickname I bet he regrets), and his merry band of robbers. Guess what? They’d been doing this for a while. Not so much a ‘one-time-offense’ as it was a full-blown business. Maybe they should start a crypto course on ‘How to Steal Without Getting Caught’. Oh wait, never mind.

₹3.49 crore crypto fraud case in Odisha’s Rourkela

Meanwhile, in Odisha, a 43-year-old man named Manoranjan Mishra was raking in ₹3.49 crore from unsuspecting crypto investors. How, you ask? By luring them in with promises of high returns, then funnelling their money through his “Lingaraj Construction” account. It’s all so official sounding, right? Nothing suspicious about that at all!

Between June 2024 and March 2025, Mishra allegedly moved a whopping ₹3.49 crore through his account, linked to 96 complaints from various states. It’s almost like he was running a crypto Ponzi scheme and no one noticed! Now, police are investigating the full extent of the fraud and tracking down the victims who were seduced by the sweet, sweet promises of “easy” money. Oh, and they also seized his phone, cards, and some other standard ‘guilty criminal’ paraphernalia.

Another reminder: Celebrity impersonation scam in Hyderabad

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, we have a ₹2.65 crore scam in Hyderabad. A businessman from Somajiguda fell victim to a scammer pretending to be a popular actress. Because nothing says ‘investment opportunity’ like getting a message from a “Bollywood star” on Facebook. Sure, why not?

The scammer convinced the businessman to pour money into a “crypto and stock trading platform,” which, shocker, turned out to be as legitimate as a ‘get-rich-quick’ scheme on the internet. After a few small withdrawals (to build trust, obviously), the businessman transferred more and more cash. But when he tried to cash out, he was asked for an additional fee. Then, poof! The website vanished, and the scammer disappeared into thin air. The police are now tracking bank transactions, digital evidence, and probably wondering why they didn’t just buy a pair of sunglasses and start scamming too.

A pattern that is becoming hard to ignore

So, what’s the takeaway here? Crypto crimes in India are changing faster than you can say “blockchain.” These scams often start with a simple DM or social media post and escalate into robberies or cyber frauds worth millions. And the worst part? These fraudsters prey on our misplaced trust and love for all things ‘quick-money.’

The moral of the story: Do your research, don’t trust random Instagram pages promising you crypto gold, and maybe, just maybe, don’t meet strangers with guns over your ‘low-cost’ digital investment. Just a thought!

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2026-02-27 11:17