CHITRAL: A fraudster reportedly decamped with millions of rupees taken from the residents of Drosh town as he introduced them to an online business platform after charging them Rs3,800 each, which was supposed to double within a week’s time.

One of the affected persons, Wali Khan told Dawn that the online business platform grew popular among the people within no time as they practically encashed more than two or three times the ‘basic investment’ of Rs3,800.

He said keeping in view the initial response of the business platform, an office of the online company was established in Drosh town whose inauguration ceremony was performed by the tehsil chairman and president of the traders’ union, which added credence to it thereby bringing more people in the mesh.

He said that some people invested as much as Rs100,000 and started receiving more than Rs10,000 per day, which enticed people in large number to purchase basic membership and then get its volume enhanced.

Wali Khan said that the people came to know about its reality when the online platform worked no more and the local office was found closed with no clue of its managers as their mobile phones were going ‘switched off’.

He said that the affected people were mulling taking legal action against the fraudsters collectively and would file an application with the local police.

Drosh sub-divisional police officer Iqbal Karim told Dawn that no application from any affected person had been received by Drosh police station and that it would be duly processed as per procedure once it was received.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2024