Image used is for representational purposes only

MUMBAI: In a major crackdown on cyber financial fraud, South Cyber Police arrested a 29-year-old man, Mohammad Kalim Akbar Ali Khan, in connection with a cyber case involving a Rs 5.39 crore scam orchestrated through a fake stock investment platform called Golden Bridge Investment Group.

What has baffled the agency is the fact that Khan’s account emerged in 51 cases of cyber frauds across India, and there is a huge turnover of crores through his account. Police said the account of 29-year-old Khan, a resident of Sakinaka, was involved in 51 separate complaints, with the account appearing 7 times in Layer 1 and 31 times in Layer 2 of cyber fraud laundering networks—an indication of its frequent use in moving illicit funds between scam layers. It has also been flagged in ongoing investigations in both North and East Cyber Police divisions.

Khan was taken into custody under sections of cheating, forgery, breach of trust, and the Information Technology Act. Police investigations revealed that Rs 5 lakh of the defrauded amount was routed through M/s. Maxmore Payment Digitech Pvt. Ltd., which is registered in Khan’s name. Investigating Officer Nandkumar Gopale said Khan was directly involved in accepting and transferring fraudulently obtained funds.
The complainant in the case is a retired businessman from Malabar Hill, who was conned by a woman named Akriti Desai, whom he met on the dating app Topface. Posing as a successful businesswoman from Noida, she befriended the victim via WhatsApp and gradually lured him into investing in a fraudulent trading app, later identified as Golden Bridge Investment (formerly GEWE).
Between July 2024 and February 2025, the victim invested nearly Rs 5.4 crore in the platform. Though he initially received Rs 20 lakh as a “return”, when he attempted to withdraw his full investment, he was told to first pay 30% in tax and fees on purported profits of Rs 80 crore. That’s when he realised he was defrauded.
The victim provided police with WhatsApp chats, bank transactions, screenshots, and a photo of a woman named Pari Patel, suspected to be connected to the fraud. His complaint was registered via helpline 1930. He formally named Akriti Desai and various bank account holders as co-conspirators in the fraud said Datta Nalawade, deputy commissioner of police.
The police have seized relevant electronic devices and bank records, and further investigation is underway to identify and arrest other members of the scam syndicate. Police believe the network could have ties across multiple cities and may involve international operatives.