Jun 27, 2025 08:08 AM IST
MUMBAI: A 46-year-old IT official was scammed of ₹91.67 lakh in an investment fraud by cyber criminals after being lured via social media.
MUMBAI: A 46-year-old official from the Income Tax department was duped of ₹91.67 lakh in an investment fraud by some unidentified cyber frauds. On Monday, a case was registered against the unidentified individuals for cheating and forgery. The Cyber police are investigating the case.
According to the police, the victim came across videos of Rachana Ranade, a chartered accountant and an investment expert, on social media and expressed her interest in investing through the link mentioned in the post. She had also shared her contact details, after which she was added to a WhatsApp group where investment tips were shared, a police officer from the cyber cell said.
She told the police that many people on the WhatsApp group were making immense profits, which encouraged her to invest similarly. She reached out to the group admin to get more details on how she could invest in order to make profits, as seen on the WhatsApp group. “They sent her a link through which she could install a mobile application. The app’s name was similar to a multinational bank’s name. She initially invested a small amount and made a 15% profit immediately. They also sent her forged acknowledgement letters from the multinational bank and Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to gain her confidence,” said the police officer. “The initial profit was credited to her bank account by the frauds to gain her confidence.”
From May 15 to June 3, she invested an amount of ₹57.67 lakh by transferring the amount to various accounts as directed by the frauds, and the app reflected ₹4 crore profit.
On June 3, when she tried to withdraw the amount, she was asked to pay an amount of ₹34 lakh as a service charge to withdraw her profits. “She paid the amount and then tried to withdraw the money. She was again asked to pay a security deposit of ₹40 lakh. She then realised she had been cheated. She was duped of ₹91.67 lakhs in total, “ said the police officer.
The police have registered a case against the unidentified individuals under sections 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by personation), 336 (forgery), 338 (forgery of valuable securities, wills, and other documents) and 340 (fraudulent or dishonest use of a forged document or electronic record) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.
