In a distressing cyber fraud case, a 65-year-old woman from Girgaon, along with her sister, was swindled out of ₹67 lakh through a fake share market investment scheme. The South Cyber police have arrested one accused, while the other remains at large.
The Cyber fraud unfolded after the elderly woman’s mobile number was added to a WhatsApp group in January, where members flaunted screenshots showing lucrative investment gains. Enticed by these apparent profits, the sisters decided to invest after being persuaded by the group’s admin, who identified herself as Shruti Baheti. She shared glowing testimonials from clients to gain their trust.
Following Baheti’s instructions, the sisters began formalities for opening a Demat account and transferred a total sum of ₹67.15 lakh to various cyber accounts. Their virtual portfolios even showed a profit of ₹1.88 lakh, further deepening their trust in the scheme. However, suspicion arose when the sisters could not withdraw their money.
When they requested to withdraw ₹50 lakh, Baheti demanded tax payments on the alleged profits. The fraudsters then pressured them to send more money to cover supposed charges, ultimately revealing the scam. The sisters contacted the police and registered a complaint under the charges of cheating and violations under the IT Act.
During the investigation, Cyber police traced the money flow through bank transactions and discovered that ₹16 lakh had been deposited into an account belonging to Hemant Mali, a vegetable trader. However, this account was actually controlled by Mohit Bhojraj, a Dahisar resident managing over 20 bank accounts used in the scam. Another accused, Salid Mohammad Shaikh from Mangaluru, Karnataka, who received access to 19 of these accounts, is currently evading arrest.
The swift action by the South Cyber police has led to Bhojraj’s arrest, but Shaikh remains on the run. This case serves as a stark reminder to be vigilant about unsolicited investment opportunities, especially those pushed through social media platforms.
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