14 March,2026 08:11 AM IST | Mumbai | Sarthak Mehta
Encouraged by the early gains, the soldier started transferring larger and more frequent amounts to the accused. Representation pic/istock
In a success against cyber fraud, an Indian Army soldier from Kandivali has recovered Rs 7.25 lakh that he lost to an online investment scam. The jawan, currently posted in Jammu and Kashmir, received the amount last month after the police had traced and frozen the funds in a bank account last year.
An official from Kandivli police station said that "due to the nature of his job, the soldier could not immediately visit the police station after lodging the tele complaint". The police nevertheless traced the money trail, froze the funds, and later facilitated the reversal after the complainant completed court formalities in Mumbai.
Police said the fraudsters first contacted the victim around March 2025 on Telegram, posing as experienced stock market traders who promised quick and guaranteed returns. They persuaded him to begin with small investments and initially showed him good returns to gain his confidence. Encouraged, the soldier started transferring larger amounts to the accused. However, when the promised returns stopped, he realised he had been cheated Soon after, the victim called the cyber helpline 1930
Timeline: March-April 2025
Type: Online trading investment fraud
Amount lost: Rs 7,25,000
Communication platform: Telegram
Money transfer: Bank account transfers
Money trail: Routed through multiple accounts before being parked in a single bank account.
Amount returned to the victim
2025
Year when the fraudsters first contacted the victim
