Bengaluru: Two Bengaluru residents lost a total of ₹2.15 crore in fake stock trading - How it happened
Two Bengaluru residents lost a total of ₹2.15 crore in fake stock trading scams via WhatsApp and social media.
A 48-year-old businessman from Visvesvaraya Layout was tricked by a woman posing as a Barclays Bank manager on Facebook. She led him to a fake investment site and added him to a WhatsApp group showing fake profits. Over three months, he invested ₹1.54 crore. When he tried to withdraw, he was blocked—his money was gone.
In another case, a 30-year-old engineer from Vijayanagar joined a WhatsApp group named “India Stock HUB12” and was directed to a fake “Citadel Securities” platform. After earning ₹90,000 on a ₹3.5 lakh investment, he trusted the platform and eventually paid ₹61.3 lakh before realizing it was a scam.
The Bengaluru West CEN Cyber Crime Police have filed FIRs and are tracking the funds. Investigators say organized gangs use fake identities, cloned trading apps, and staged messages to lure victims.
Stay Safe:
- Don’t trust social media investment offers.
- Verify platforms and people through official sources.
- Avoid investing large amounts online without due diligence.
- Be cautious of promises of high returns.
- Report suspicious activity to cybercrime authorities.