Noida father-son duo loses ₹7.6 crore to stock trading fraud

The elderly man started getting trading information and training to earn a profit. When other members of the group started trading, the duo also joined them.

A 30-year-old man and his father, both Noida residents, were duped of ₹7.66 crore by fraudsters who lured them into investing huge amounts in the share market to earn a quick profit, said senior police officers on Friday.

The duo was later sent a bank account number for transferring money for trading, claiming that it was an account approved by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). (Representational image) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Police said the incidents of fraud happened between October 15 and November 21, and ₹1.2 crore have been recovered so far.

The matter was reported on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), and a case of fraud and cheating was registered at the Cybercrime police station in Sector 36 on Tuesday (November 26), police said on Friday.

The complainant, a businessman who requested not to be identified, resides at a high-rise in Sector 77 that falls under Sector 113 police station in Noida.

“In his complaint, the man said that on October 1, his father, 65, was added to a share market trading group on WhatsApp. As the group’s name was that of a reputable brokering firm, the complainant advised him to join the group,” a senior officer attached to the probe, asking not to be named.

“On joining the group, the elderly man was contacted by a woman, who identified herself as Priya Sharma, to welcome him to the group. The group had 73 members and a few had their display profile picture in police uniforms,” said the senior officer.

Later, the elderly man started getting share market trading information and training to earn a profit. “When other members of the group started trading, both the son and his father also joined them,” the officer added.

The duo was later sent a bank account number for transferring money for trading, claiming that it was an account approved by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Thereafter, the victims began trading and transferred ₹7.66 crore to that account between October 15 and November 21.

“On November 21, the victims were asked to transfer ₹3 crore as trading fee to become eligible to withdraw a profit of ₹23 crore,” said Vijay Gautam, station house officer, Cybercrime station.

But the request made the father and son suspicious, and they checked the account number with SEBI and realised that they had been duped.

The matter was reported on NCRP, and a case under section 318(4) (cheating) and 319(2) (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and IT Act was registered against unidentified suspects on Tuesday, and a probe is underway to nab the suspects and recover more money, the SHO said, adding that till Friday, ₹ 1.2 crore was recovered and 12 bank accounts freezed.

In a similar incident, a 60-year-old retired woman bank official was duped of ₹64.45 lakh between August 20 and October 3, said police, adding that a case of fraud was registered at the cybercrime branch station on Thursday.

The victim, a resident of a high-rise in Sector 78, also received a message from a stock trading firm on August 20 asking her to invest to earn a profit. “Initially, she invested ₹1 lakh. But later she was forced to invest more to earn more and also to withdraw her invested amount,” said Vijay Gautam, SHO, cybercrime.

Till October 2, she had deposited ₹63.45 lakh but the next day when she was asked to deposit ₹3 lakh more, she realised that she was duped.

Noida cybercrime police have appealed to people to not open any suspicious link or invest without verification. People can call the cyber helpline number 1930 or register a complaint at the NCRP portal.