The post Indian air force veteran loses $25,000 to crypto fraudsters appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

An Indian air force veteran has lost over Rs. 22.75 lakh ($25,000) to crypto scammers who carried out several unsanctioned transactions on his accounts. According to reports from the Indian police, the victim fell prey to an online scam that promised investors high rewards and incentives on cryptocurrency investments. According to the complainant, the crypto scammers carried out a series of debits from his savings and UPI-linked account. The said unsanctioned transactions occurred between January 11 and 17, 2026, and included Rs. 7.5 lakh withdrawn on January 13, Rs. 5 lakh and Rs. 2.74 lakh withdrawn on January 17. The Indian air force veteran also mentioned that other small-scale transactions occurred on his account, noting a debit of Rs. 95,2000, Rs. 50,000, and Rs. 65,000. How did the crypto scammers steal from the Indian air force veteran? In a detailed explanation to the police, the Indian native stated in his complaint that he was approached by the scammers through WhatsApp. Like most victims, he was contacted by an unfamiliar number on WhatsApp, where they talked about several aspects. This is likely the first step that these criminals undertake, trying to make the victim as comfortable with them as possible before they begin interaction that would lead towards the scam they are trying to pull. After small conversations, the victim claimed that the person introduced him to another man on Telegram, who introduced himself as Harwinder Sandhu. It was this man who talked to him about the crypto investments, giving him several upsides of the investment scheme. He claimed the man would register and invest in a cryptocurrency bonus plan where he would be able to recoup about 50% bonus on investments made in different digital assets on the platform. In order to gain credibility, Sandhu showed him several screenshots of…

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Filed under: News - @ February 8, 2026 9:09 am