Goan accepts FB request from ‘friendly’ stranger, loses Rs 1.2 crore

Panaji: It all began innocently—a simple Facebook friend request from someone named Judith on Nov 30, 2024. Little did the recipient know that this was just the first step in a calculated and ruthless cyber fraud scheme. The victim lost Rs 1.2 crore to the fraud, and is likely not the only one in the state to lose money to such cons.
Crime branch SP Rahul Gupta said that Judith, with her seemingly friendly demeanour, started messaging immediately after the request was accepted by the victim. What began as casual exchanges soon escalated into an elaborate deception that cost the victim their hard-earned savings, family security, and peace of mind.
On Dec 2, 2024, Judith reached out via WhatsApp, building rapport and trust. By Dec 6, she dropped the bait—a screenshot of an online trading app showing a hefty profit of Rs 94,000. She cheerfully claimed she struck gold in the stock market and asked, “Don’t you want to make money like this?”
Eager to explore, the victim agreed. Judith wasted no time introducing ‘Karen’, a so-called “expert” contact, who guided them on how to use the trading app, FITT INDIA.apk. Karen explained that the minimum investment was Rs 20,000, and the victim, enticed by dreams of easy riches, took the leap, said Gupta.
The initial results were promising. Within a day, the victim earned Rs 1,500, which was successfully withdrawn into the bank account. Excited and reassured, the victim invested Rs 30,000 more and withdrew Rs 20,000—this time with their spouse joining in. Encouraged by these early successes, they began investing larger amounts, borrowing from personal loans, and pouring everything they could into the app.
Then came the twist. The fraudsters dangled a new carrot—a lottery win in IPO shares. However, there was a catch: they needed to invest more money to secure the profits, or they risked losing everything. By this point, the victim invested Rs 10 lakh in the app. Panic set in, and under immense pressure, they borrowed further, taking gold loans and even turning to friends for help.
“Judith continued to fan the flames of confidence, claiming she also borrowed money for higher returns. Members of a WhatsApp group, filled with seemingly satisfied investors, assured the victim that the app was legitimate. But little did they know that these were likely planted actors, strategically placed to manipulate and reassure,” said Gupta.
The nightmare reached its peak when the victims decided to withdraw their profits. Suddenly, a new hurdle appeared — they were told they needed to pay a ‘20% profit share’ to access their earnings. Desperate to recover their money, they paid Rs 8 lakh more. But the demands didn’t stop there—the fraudsters then insisted on Rs 40 lakh to release the total amount of Rs 1.2 crore that was “earned”.
It was only after a quick online search that the harsh truth was revealed—this was a sophisticated and ongoing cyber fraud scheme. The victim lost over Rs 1 crore, including savings, loans, and gold. Devastated and betrayed, they reported the crime to the Goa cyber crime cell, but the emotional and financial scars remain, Gupta said.