Udupi: A man was allegedly cheated of Rs 26.5 lakh in an online investment fraud after being lured through social media and messaging platforms with promises of high returns.According to the complaint, the victim came into contact with a person named Karthik through Telegram about two years ago. On Jan 15, 2026, the same person contacted him via WhatsApp, urging him to invest money with the assurance of attractive profits. When the victim expressed doubts about trusting him, the accused sent copies of an Aadhaar card, passport and a photograph, bearing the name Mohammed Shafeeq, a resident of Kasaba Bengre in Mangaluru. The accused continued to communicate through WhatsApp calls and messages. Believing the claims, the complainant invested money in what he thought was the share market and transferred a total of Rs 26.5 lakh to various bank accounts provided by the accused. However, neither the invested amount nor any returns were paid back. Based on the complaint, a case was registered at the CEN crime police station under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act, and Section 318(4) of the BNS.Man cheated of Rs 25.6L by Insta ‘friend’Udupi: A 34-year-old man from Nallur village in Karkala was allegedly cheated of Rs 25.6 lakh by a person who befriended him on Instagram under the pretext of needing financial help. According to the complaint filed, the accused introduced himself as Sujan Shetty Siddapur on Instagram on July 23, 2024. He initially requested Rs 200, claiming he needed money to go to college. The next day, the complainant transferred the amount to the accused’s bank account via G Pay.Subsequently, the accused repeatedly contacted the complainant with various excuses, seeking money for college fees, medical expenses, laptop repairs and repayment of an agricultural loan. He also assured that he would return the money and later claimed he needed additional funds to “fix” his bank account in order to repay the amount.Trusting these claims, the complainant transferred money in phases from July 24, 2024, to April 4, 2026. However, the accused failed to return the amount and is alleged to have cheated him of Rs 25.6 lakh. Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Karkala rural police station.
