• Source:JND
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In a disturbing rise in cybercrime, fraudsters have duped three individuals, including a businessman and a retired police sub-inspector, of over Rs 1.8 crore through fake stock trading schemes and impersonation tactics. Separate cases have been registered with the Cyber Crime Police Station and the PGI Police Station.

Businessman Kuldeep Raj Gupta, a resident of Celebrity Greens, Sushant Golf City, was allegedly cheated of Rs 73.65 lakh between June 24 and July 2. According to his complaint, a fraudster claiming to be from Ujjain convinced him to invest in stock trading by promising high returns and a 20 per cent commission on profits. The fraudster even connected him with another person over WhatsApp, allegedly from Surat.

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Gupta transferred the amount in 10 instalments, only to be threatened and stonewalled when he tried to withdraw the shown profit. Realising the scam, he approached the Cyber Crime Police Station.

In another case, Ranju Kushwaha, a resident of Chandrika Vihar Colony Phase-3, BKT, reported that her husband Manoj Kumar was added to a fake WhatsApp group named VIP A-7 Indian Stock Market Frontier on May 20. He was contacted by individuals identified as Anvi, Arfi Singh, and Jai Kumar Verma, who convinced him to invest in trading through a fraudulent app called Amansa Group Service Department.

The victim deposited Rs 52.45 lakh in multiple instalments, lured by promised profits and IPO opportunities. When the app showed a profit of Rs 1 crore, the fraudsters demanded a 20 per cent tax to release the funds. After she deposited an additional Rs 6 lakh, the app account was blocked, and her husband was removed from the group. She has now filed a case with the Cyber Crime Police.

In a separate incident, Gyanendra Kumar Shukla, a retired sub-inspector residing in Ratnakar Khand, South City, was defrauded of Rs 4.16 lakh by a man impersonating a treasury officer. On Sunday, the accused—identified as Akhilesh Srivastava—contacted him claiming to assist with pension-related formalities.

The fraudster sent a malicious link, which Shukla unknowingly downloaded and used to enter personal details. Soon after, the money was siphoned from his account. A case has been registered at the PGI Police Station following his complaint.

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Inspector Brijesh Yadav, Cyber Crime, confirmed that two separate teams are investigating the cases and efforts are underway to trace the accused and recover the funds.

Authorities have once again urged the public to remain cautious while investing online or sharing personal information, especially over third-party links or unverified apps.