Mumbai: A 42-year-old homemaker from Mira Road became the latest target of cyber-criminals who cheated her of more than Rs.13 lakh by promising high returns in stock trading.
In her statement to the police, the complainant who stays in the Delta Garden area said that during her trip to Uttan she came across an advertisement regarding stock trading on Instagram. Upon clicking the provided link, the complainant was added to a WhatsApp group in which tips were provided on stock purchases.
During the initial stages she was able to withdraw Rs. 6,600, prompting her to invest a total of Rs.13.83 lakh for buying shares of various companies through 12 online transactions to specified bank accounts in less than two months.
Though she could see her investments on the online trading application platform, she was unable to make further withdrawals. After seeking a clarification from the group admin, she was asked to transfer Rs. 3.90 lakh towards 30 percent taxes. When she expressed her inability to pump more funds she was removed from the group.
An offence under the relevant sections of the IPC and Information Technology Act-2000 has been registered at the Uttan coastal police station against the yet-to-be identified cybercrooks. Further investigations were underway.
