Mumbai: A 53-year-old senior official with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), serving as the Revenue and Sub-Land Manager, has fallen victim to a cyber fraud involving share trading, losing a staggering Rs 1.69 crore. The officer was lured into the scam after encountering a Facebook advertisement that appeared to represent a global bank.
He reportedly clicked on the ad on January 30, which led to contact via WhatsApp from a woman identifying herself as Priya Sharma, an assistant with the so-called bank. She added him to a group named “G510 Opportunity Creator,” introducing him to share trading through an app-based platform.
According to a Times of India report, the victim initially invested Rs 50,000 and was soon added to another WhatsApp group called “HSBC G-32 Capital Customer Care,” where he was offered high-return options like Super Circuits, IPOs, and Block Trading. The group’s convincing communication, combined with what appeared to be real-time trading activity, gave the operation a sense of legitimacy. Over the following weeks, the officer continued to invest huge sum of amounts, believing he was dealing with a reputed institution through a trading platform called HSSSPMA, accessed via a mobile-linked app.
By March 26, the platform showed his virtual account had grown to Rs 9.91 crore, with a profit of Rs 8.08 crore. However, when he tried to withdraw his funds, the scammers demanded an “Economic Service Fee” of 18 per cent of the profits, approximately Rs 1.45 crore. Since he couldn’t pay the full fee upfront, he requested the amount be deducted from his profits. His appeal was supposedly forwarded to a finance department, but no action followed.
Desperate, the officer tried to withdraw Rs 90 lakh, then attempted a larger withdrawal of Rs 9 crore. Both transactions were marked successful or pending on the app, but no money ever reached his IndusInd Bank account. Repeated attempts to reach Sharma or other group members were met with vague responses or silence. Eventually, the groups went inactive, and it became clear that he had been conned.
Complaint Filed With Maharashtra Cyber Cell
The officer has now filed a formal complaint with the Nodal Cyber Police Station, Maharashtra Cyber. Police have registered an FIR and are working to trace the digital and financial trail left by the perpetrators. Cops suspect a well-organised syndicate behind the operation, using convincing digital platforms and social media ads to target unsuspecting investors.
