Retired Navy captain duped of ₹3.37 crore in cyber fraud

Over 61 transactions, the complainant allegedly transferred ₹3.37 crore to various bank accounts provided by the scammers. The fake investment platform later showed profits amounting to nearly ₹27 crore

MUMBAI: A 71-year-old retired Merchant Navy captain from Dadar East was allegedly cheated of ₹3.37 crore by cyber fraudsters posing as associates of Axis Capital MD and CEO Atul Mehra.

Retired Navy captain duped of ₹3.37 crore in cyber fraud

A case has been registered against unidentified persons under sections related to cheating, impersonation and forgery, along with provisions of the Information Technology Act.

According to police, the complainant was added to a WhatsApp group in January purportedly linked to the investment firm. He was later contacted by a woman claiming to be Mehra’s assistant, who offered to help him invest in the stock market.

Police said the woman collected his details and later informed him that his investment account had been approved. She then sent him a link to a trading platform that resembled a genuine investment website. The complainant was also provided with a customer care number and allegedly instructed to invest according to their directions.

“Initially, the complainant was hesitant, but after being shown profits and receiving some returns on their website, he started investing regularly,” a police officer said.

Over 61 transactions, the complainant allegedly transferred ₹3.37 crore to various bank accounts provided by the scammers. The fake investment platform later showed profits amounting to nearly ₹27 crore.

However, when he attempted to withdraw the amount, he was allegedly asked to pay ₹37 lakh as tax. He requested the amount be deducted from his profits instead. When they refused, he got suspicious. The complainant then approached the police, following which the Central Cyber registered an offence and began investigating the case.