How Did A US Woman Get Scammed Of ₹3.3 Crore? Indian Bookie And Crypto Handler Arrested

Lisa Roth, a woman from the US, received a call on July 4, 2023, from an individual claiming to be a "Microsoft agent."

She was instructed to transfer $400,000 to a cryptocurrency wallet.

Roth, who claimed to be an agent of Microsoft, had become a victim of a cyber fraud, resulting in a loss of ₹3.3 crore ($400,000), as reported by NDTV. A year later, the Enforcement Directorate arrested a bookie and a cryptocurrency handler based in Delhi. Lakshya Vij, the bookie, who resides in east Delhi's Dilshad Garden, was implicated when his name surfaced in March last year.

He was arrested by the Gujarat Police from the Cross River Mall in east Delhi and allegedly released due to the intervention of a senior Delhi Police officer, as reported by ANI.

How The Woman Was Duped

The money transferred by Ms. Roth was traced to the wallets of Praful Gupta and his mother, Sarita Gupta. During the investigation, it was discovered that a person named Karan Chug was receiving this money from Gupta and distributing it to different wallets.

Subsequently, this amount was converted into cryptocurrency and transferred to various Indian bogus accounts at the direction of Karan and Lakshya. The laundered money was then used on betting apps like Fair Play 24, as per media reports.

The Enforcement Directorate registered a case of money laundering, conducted raids last month, and recovered digital evidence. Statements from the owners of the crypto wallets involved in the crime were also recorded.

It was found during the investigation that all the transfers were orchestrated by Lakshya, who is identified as the mastermind behind this fraud. The main accused was presented in Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court and has been placed under a 5-day Enforcement Directorate remand.