NAGPUR: A 68-year-old retired government employee from Wanjari Nagar was allegedly cheated of ₹45.69 lakh by cyber fraudsters who lured him into an online trading scheme by promising high returns and displaying fictitious profits.

According to the complaint registered with the Cyber Police, the fraud took place between September 30 and October 27, 2026. The victim, identified in the police record as Sunil Shirpurkar, a resident of Wanjari Nagar under Ajni police station limits, was contacted through WhatsApp and Telegram accounts.

The fraudsters allegedly approached him using WhatsApp numbers 919435448381 and 447865051381, and Telegram usernames “itsmebarbiet447868233590” and “Adityaverma123”.

The accused allegedly induced the victim to invest in trading by directing him to websites accessed through the Discover tab of the Binance application. They reportedly shared links to trading platforms and displayed substantial profits to gain his confidence.

Believing the representations, the retired employee allegedly transferred a total of ₹45,69,187.50 to multiple bank accounts provided by the fraudsters on different occasions.

However, the promised returns did not materialise, and the victim realised that he had been cheated. He subsequently approached the police and lodged a complaint.

Cyber Police registered a case under Sections 319(2), 318(2), 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340(1) and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.

The accused have not yet been identified, and further investigation is underway.