A major online investment fraud has been uncovered in Islamabad, where authorities allege that a fake digital investment scheme swindled billions of rupees from citizens by promising high returns.

The case was brought before the District and Sessions Court Islamabad, where the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) produced three foreign nationals and a female suspect in connection with the investigation.

During the hearing, presided over by Duty Judge Naeema Iffat, investigators requested a 30-day physical remand, arguing that the case involves a large-scale cyber-enabled financial scam. They stated that key evidence, including cash and electronic devices, still needs to be recovered from the accused.

After hearing the arguments, the court approved a three-day physical remand and ordered investigators to present the suspects again after completion of the custody period.

Officials said the case involves more than Rs134 million collected from around 270 victims through an online investment setup that allegedly operated as a fraud network. One complainant alone reportedly lost over Rs54.1 million.

Investigators further claimed that the group behind the scheme was operating from Islamabad’s Blue Area. The case has been registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) along with fraud and cheating provisions, while efforts continue to trace financial flows and identify additional suspects linked to the network.