How A Woman Entrepreneur From Greater Noida Was Duped Of Rs 64 Lakh In A WhatsApp Investment Scam News24 –

Report by Praveen Vikram Singh

A lady entrepreneur who resides in Greater Noida West has become a victim of a huge cyber scam and lost ₹64.4 lakh after she was placed on a WhatsApp group where she was tricked into an ATM-based investment fraud.

The scam started on 29th July 2023, when the victim Shahina Parveen was invited to join a WhatsApp group named “C-77”. The group purported to be managed by a company named Asset India Pvt. Ltd. and invited her to download a cell phone application, which was stated to enable individuals to buy stocks and shares.

Shahina was first asked to invest small sums in exchange for registration. The fraudsters created fake returns on the app interface, continuously building her confidence in phases. Believing in the returns, she executed a total of 16 individual transactions worth ₹64.4 lakh.

All was good until Shahina attempted to withdraw her profits. That is when she realized the app was completely a scam. Although it reflected on the screen that they were earning, nobody could withdraw actual money. As soon as she asked them questions, the scammers cut off all communication with her and disappeared.

Having realized that she was a victim, Shahina filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime police station on June 19. She had registered the case on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) as well.

The police officers have already confirmed the case is under active investigation. They are examining digital traces and transaction records and indicate that the accused will be identified and apprehended in a short time.

This case is a good reminder that WhatsApp groups and unauthorized high-return investment apps are often part of complex fraud. The government has advised citizens to watch out for such properly vetted platforms and not engage in any financial transaction with unverified parties, particularly if contacted by social media or messaging platforms.