Mohali, Feb. 14 -- Police on Thursday booked unidentified persons for allegedly defrauding a 37-year-old private sector employee of Rs.7.09 lakh in an online trading fraud.

The victim, a resident of Dhakoli, said he had received a WhatsApp message on May 10, 2024, from a person claiming to represent a company named Value Icon. The sender promised high profits through online trading. To build credibility, the fraudsters shared a fake Aadhaar card and screenshots showing alleged profits earned by other investors. They collected his Aadhaar, PAN, email and bank details on the pretext of opening a trading account.

On July 5, 2024, the victim transferred Rs.1 lakh as an initial investment and the fraudsters showed him a fictitious profit of ...