An application called ‘Foxconn’ has conned around 60 people in Chandigarh with their total loss aggregate amounting to more than Rs 25 lakhs, Indian Express reported on Saturday. The app has now shut down with the investors clueless about where their money went.
Before the app went out of operation, the investors received a message in the WhatsApp group through which they communicated with the app handlers. The message, written in Japanese, said, “Good evening. I am in Japan. Thanks to all for the full payments. I will remember all of you. We will open a new platform for cheating you. Bye”.
Vijay Kumar, who, along with six family members, has lost Rs 2.72 lakhs after investing in this app showed the message to the publication.
Vijay Kumar told the publication that he came to know about the Foxconn app through one of his friends, Bheem Singh. He also said that his initial investments in the app, which has been running since last year, bore fruit which prompted him to persuade others in his vicinity to come on this application.
Kumar’s wife, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and two friends were all investing in the app and also getting returns but when their investments went above Rs 50,000, the app stopped responding.
The app stopped working on October 10.
Kumar told the publication that the app handlers communicated with its investors through at least three whatsapp groups. These handlers pushed people like Kumar to bring on more investors who would then lure further investors to the app thus establishing a chain of people willing to put in their money in this application.
Kumar also told Indian Express that WhatsApp remained the only channel through which the handlers communicated and the investors could never talk to them on the phone, let alone meet the, in person.
Police confirmed that such complaints regarding the Foxconn app were pouring in. Police have thus far recorded investment statements, WhatsApp messages, and details of account numbers of at least five victims.
(Published 21 October 2023, 11:10 IST)