Team Goemkarponn
MARGAO: The Cyber Crime Police Station, Goa, has arrested a Karnataka-based man in connection with an alleged online investment fraud that cheated a Margao resident of ₹33.75 lakh through a fake AI trading platform.
According to police, the case was registered on March 24, 2026, after the victim lodged a complaint alleging that she had been deceived by individuals posing as representatives of a platform called “Social Venture Capitalist AI Trading.” The fraudsters reportedly contacted her through WhatsApp and promised substantial returns on investments.
Police said the complainant was persuaded to register on the platform and was subsequently guided through purported trading activities. Believing the promises of high profits, she transferred a total of ₹33.75 lakh through multiple transactions into various bank accounts provided by the accused.
Following a detailed technical investigation, a Goa Police team comprising PSI Anil Polekar, HC Anay Naik and PC Siddaramayya Math traced one of the suspects to Bengaluru, Karnataka. The team arrested Mohammad Rafeez (33), a native of Padil, Puttur, in Dakshina Kannada district, who was residing in Bengaluru.
Investigators found that ₹8 lakh from the alleged fraud had been credited to the accused’s bank account. Police said a portion of the money was withdrawn through cash and cheque transactions, while the remaining amount was transferred to accounts linked to his associates.
Further investigation revealed that the same bank account had surfaced in two other cyber fraud cases registered in Goa and Tamil Nadu, involving a cumulative fraud amount of approximately ₹33 lakh.
The accused has been produced before the court, and police are seeking custody for further investigation. Authorities are continuing efforts to identify other members of the network and trace the movement of the defrauded funds.
The investigation is being conducted by PI Deepak M. Pednekar under the supervision of ASP B.V. Sridevi and overall supervision of SP Cyber Crime Raju Raut Desai.
