80-year-old advocate duped of ₹40,260 in online investment scam using Nirmala Sitharaman’s name

The police said the complainant later realised he may have been cheated and contacted the national cybercrime helpline 1930 to report the incident. | Photo Credit: Getty Images An 80-year-old advocate from Devanahalli was allegedly cheated of ₹40,260 in an online investment fraud after fraudsters used the name of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on social media to lure investors with promises of high returns in the share market. According to a complaint filed at the Devanahalli Police Station on Monday, the victim a resident of Kuvempu Layout in Avathi, Devanahalli Taluk, Bengaluru Rural district, stated that he came across social media content claiming that investments in the stock market would generate substantial profits in March this year. Trusting the claims, he transferred a total of ₹40,260 in multiple transactions on March 26, 2026, from his savings account. The police said the complainant later realised he may have been cheated and contacted the national cybercrime helpline 1930 to report the incident. The victim has submitted copies of the UTR transaction details and sought police assistance to recover the lost amount. Published - May 13, 2026 07:59 pm IST