A 23-year-old from Chandigarh reportedly lost over ₹5.5 lakh after falling victim to a cryptocurrency scam. It started when they responded to what seemed like a real job posting online.
Shubham Kumar Goyal reported to Chandigarh Cyber Police that on May 24th, he received a message on Telegram from a woman named Kanchan Bansal. She claimed to be from a digital marketing company and offered him a work-from-home job rating hotels, promising he could earn up to ₹3,500 each day.
The psychological trap: From online tasks to crypto investments
To gain his trust, the scammers used a common tactic seen in online fraud schemes. They started by giving Goyal easy online tasks, paying him around ₹160 for each one. Once he’d completed a few of these, they presented him with what they claimed was a chance to invest in cryptocurrency.
According to police, the victim was told to send money using QR codes and various bank accounts connected to what he believed were cryptocurrency investments. Over four days, from May 24th to May 27th, he transferred a total of ₹5,50,142, using not only his own bank accounts but also those of his friends and family.
The person who reported the fraud only received ₹2,000 from the scammers. When they tried to withdraw more money, they were given instructions for doing so, but the withdrawal didn’t go through. They were then told their account was frozen because of a problem.
After realizing he’d been tricked, Goyal went to the cyber police station in Sector 17 and provided transaction details and other proof.
After a quick check of the complaint, Chandigarh Cyber Police have started an investigation into an alleged fraud. They are currently tracking money transfers and reviewing bank account details to identify those responsible.
Crypto scams continue to target Indian investors
This situation is part of a worrying increase in scams happening on messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp. Scammers are using fake job postings, investment plans, and promises of cryptocurrency profits to trick people.
The recent incident in Chandigarh is part of a growing trend of cryptocurrency fraud across India. For example, police in Maharashtra investigated a scam in May 2026 where investors lost an estimated ₹1.61 crore.
In October 2025, a resident of Gandhidham, Gujarat, reportedly lost around ₹56.47 lakh after being tricked into joining a fraudulent crypto trading group on Telegram. The group falsely promised high profits, and the victim lost their money after transferring it to the scammers and then being blocked from the platform.
These incidents demonstrate that cybercriminal groups are shifting their tactics. Rather than relying on typical software vulnerabilities, they’re now using a combination of social engineering, fake job postings, and quick ways to convert stolen funds into cryptocurrency. This creates a powerful and widespread threat aimed at individual investors across the country.
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2026-06-01 09:26