A doctor in Gurgaon has claimed in a police complaint that what began as a cordial social media exchange with a woman claiming to offer financial guidance resulted in a Rs 50 lakh fraud, the police said on Sunday.

The surgeon is employed at a Gurgaon hospital in the surgical oncology department. He complained to the South district Cyber Police Station last month, stating, "A woman befriended me on social media, and we continued our conversation on Telegram." She said she could provide me guidance on how to get the most return on my foreign currency investments after earning my trust.

"The woman asked me to try out a website," the doctor continued. I was instructed to withdraw Rs 5,200 after first investing Rs 40,000 and seeing an impressive profit. I kept investing more money since I was drawn to higher profits over time, and by May, I had raised my total to Rs 23 lakh.

"The woman advised me to invest more after I paid the amount, so I did, incurring a $9,000 tax liability for a $30,000 profit." The complainant continued to pay taxes on the Rs 50 lakh he had invested over time. He told the police that this also included the amount of taxes he was required to pay on a regular basis. Two months after they became friends, the woman blocked his contact, he said, making it impossible for the complainant to get in touch with her via WhatsApp or her cell phone.

According to a senior police officer, an investigation into a case of cheating under section 420 of the IPC has been started.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Priyanka Pandey/MSM)