Mumbai Chemist Duped of Rs 1.24 Crore in WhatsApp Investment Scam Promising Share Market Profits
Mumbai: A senior chemist based in Sharjah was allegedly duped of Rs 1.24 crore in an online investment scam after a woman reportedly lured him with promises of share market profits through a WhatsApp group. The North Region Cyber Police have registered a cheating case based on a complaint filed by the chemist's teenage son. Police are investigating the case, and no arrests have been made so far.
The complainant and his wife, both of Indian origin, live and work in Sharjah, while their family resides in Mumbai. According to the complaint, the incident began on August 20, when a woman identifying herself as Ananya Sharma contacted the chemist through WhatsApp and offered him an opportunity to invest in the share market and earn profits.
Sharma subsequently shared a link to a WhatsApp group named ‘Antara Growth’, which reportedly had 96 members. After joining the group, the complainant observed messages from other members discussing investment strategies, trading tips and their alleged experiences of earning profits. These interactions reportedly helped build his confidence in the investment opportunity.
The woman claimed to be a registered broker representing an evergreen fund. She then sent the complainant another link and instructed him to enter personal information, including his passport details and contact information. Convinced by the offer, the chemist followed her instructions and submitted the requested details.
The complainant subsequently transferred money to bank accounts provided by Sharma for investment purposes. He also carried out purported trading transactions through the link she had shared. During this process, the platform displayed profits amounting to Rs 6.19 crore, leading him to believe that his investments had generated substantial returns.
However, when the complainant attempted to withdraw the displayed profits, he was unable to access the money. He then contacted Sharma to resolve the issue. The woman allegedly told him that he would have to pay a fee equivalent to 5% of the profits to withdraw the funds, warning that the withdrawal would otherwise not be possible.
Suspecting a problem, the complainant asked Sharma to return his investment of Rs 1.24 crore. However, his calls reportedly went unanswered, and he was unable to recover the money. He subsequently realised that he had allegedly been cheated and contacted the national cybercrime helpline at 1930 to report the incident.
The Times of India reports that the North Region Cyber Police have registered a case of cheating and are investigating the alleged fraud, including the transactions and bank accounts involved.
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