Mumbai: A 54-year-old homemaker looking to earn some extra money fell victim to an elaborate investment scam, losing about Rs 54 lakh.
The fraudsters, posing as representatives of ‘Nisha Financial Services Consultant Company,’ contacted her via WhatsApp, promising substantial returns on stock market investments. The fraudsters initially showed her profit virtually and later told her that she was lucky to get the IPO. They asked her to pay Rs 33.73 lakh, and when she told them that she did not have the money, they asked her to take a loan and made her pay another Rs 21 lakh. Later, when she told them that she wanted to sell the IPO and pay off the loan, the fraudster asked her to pay another 15% ‘tax’ and thus duped her further.
On Nov 13, 2024, the victim received a message from Aakash Pawar regarding ‘trending shares’. After expressing interest, she was sent a WhatsApp link which added her to a group named “G8-5 Wall Street Information Sharing.” The group, which comprised 118 members, was administered by individuals using the names Jeevan Professor, Aakash Assistant, and Recharge Manager. The administrators claimed to represent Nisha Financial Services Consultant Company, with Aakash acting as an assistant.
On Nov 18, 2024, Aakash advised her to download the company’s trading app, Anisha, to open a trading account. Following the registration process, her trading account was created with an initial balance of zero. Aakash then encouraged her to engage in block trading of shares.
On Nov 19, 2024, the victim was prompted to fund her trading account. Following instructions, she deposited Rs 20,000 into a designated bank account. Soon after, she observed the credited amount and began trading, during which initial profits appeared in her account. Buoyed by these early gains, she continued to invest, said police. Believing that her investments were growing, the victim eventually sought to withdraw her deposited funds. However, she was informed that a 15% commission fee—amounting to Rs 4 lakh—would be deducted from her withdrawal. When she pressed for an earlier refund, the caller demanded an additional Rs 4 lakh to expedite the process. After paying this fee, the victim attempted to withdraw her funds on Jan 1 but received no response despite repeated follow-ups. Realising that she had been deceived, the victim scrutinised her transaction history and communications and concluded that from Nov 13, 2024, to Jan 2, 2025, her funds were illicitly diverted to various beneficiary bank accounts.