In a classy digital rip-off spanning a number of districts of Karnataka, over 200 individuals have allegedly been defrauded of practically ₹2 crore via a bogus cell utility named Trump Resort Rental. The app, which falsely used AI-generated photographs of US President Donald Trump to look credible, promised exorbitant short-term returns underneath the guise of a luxurious lodge funding platform.
In response to a Instances of India report and corroborated by a number of police complaints, the now-defunct app lured customers by projecting itself as a high-profile lodge rental enterprise, exploiting Trump’s likeness to achieve trust and legitimacy. The platform gained momentum through focused social media ads, significantly throughout areas reminiscent of Bengaluru, Tumakuru, Mangaluru, Haveri, Hubballi, Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Shivamogga, Ballari, and Bidar.
Talking to India Right this moment, Haveri Superintendent of Police Anshukumar revealed that the scam adopted a pyramid-style scheme. “By initially providing modest returns, they gained over customers’ confidence, then promised inflated returns at greater funding ranges, earlier than vanishing and not using a hint,” he mentioned.
The app required customers to pay a nominal registration price, usually round ₹1,500. In return, some have been paid preliminary quantities— ₹500 or small day by day sums like ₹30—to encourage additional funding. As soon as customers’ dashboards mirrored a steadiness of ₹300, withdrawals have been permitted, additional convincing victims of the scheme’s legitimacy. Nonetheless, as customers invested bigger sums, usually reaching lakhs, the app stopped functioning and the promoters disappeared.
One Bengaluru-based lawyer, in his criticism, said that he had invested ₹6 lakh over a four-month interval. “They even demanded taxes on the so-called earnings earlier than going silent,” he added.
In response to the TOI report, the fraudulent operation was not restricted to faux investments. A number of customers have been assigned bogus ‘work-from-home’ jobs reminiscent of drafting firm profiles, with inflated earnings mirrored on their dashboards—one other ploy to entice deeper engagement and monetary enter.
As of now, over 15 formal complaints have been registered in Haveri district alone. Nonetheless, police consider the precise variety of victims may very well be considerably greater. SR Ganachari, Inspector on the Cybercrime, Financial Offences and Narcotics (CEN) unit, confirmed that investigations are underway, with officers analysing digital proof to trace the perpetrators. The app and its associated on-line infrastructure have since been dismantled.
Authorities have cautioned the general public to remain vigilant, warning that comparable scams might re-emerge underneath completely different branding.
