Trump App Scam: Over 200 investors from Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Hubballi and other Karnataka districts defrauded of over Rs 2 crore

More than 200 investors from Karnataka have reported to cybercrime police that they were cheated out of nearly Rs 2 crore over the past five to six months through a fraudulent app named after US President Donald Trump. The app, called ‘Trump Hotel Rental’, which featured AI-generated videos and images of Trump, has now been taken down, according to a report by TOI.

Fraudsters operating the scam convinced investors to deposit money by promising very high returns, sometimes more than 100% profits in a short period. Police said that the scam affected over 800 investors, with some people investing more than Rs 10 lakh, hoping for quick and big returns.

Cases have been registered across several police stations in Bengaluru, Tumakuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi, Dharwad, Kalaburgi, Shivamogga, Ballari, Bidar, and Haveri districts. Authorities started investigations following the complaints. SR Ganachari, Circle Police Inspector of the Cybercrime, Economic Offences, and Narcotics (CEN) unit, said that the now-removed app used advertisements that promised high returns, remote work options, and investment opportunities.


According to sources quoted by TOI, the app showed a dashboard listing the investor’s earnings, which acted as bait to encourage more investment. Ganachari explained, “Each completed task assigned to an investor appeared to increase their earnings on the app’s dashboard, but the money was never real.” In Haveri district alone, 15 cases have been filed. Many more victims have lost money but have not yet come forward to complain.

One victim, a lawyer, lost nearly Rs 6 lakh between January 25 and April 4 this year. Another victim said they received promotional material for the ‘Trump Hotel Rental’ app, which led them to download it. The fraudsters asked them to fill forms and provide bank details.

The victim’s complaint stated, “I was paid Rs 30 every day and could withdraw the money once my earnings crossed Rs 300. Since payments were on time, I was asked to invest more, starting with Rs 5,000 and eventually Rs 1,00,000. In the end, they asked me to pay taxes to withdraw the money, but the money was never returned.”

Police are continuing their investigations into this elaborate scam.

Inputs from TOI