A 68-year-old retired resident of Thane, fell victim to an online trading scam, losing ₹39,57,002 between August 11 and August 31, 2024. The victim, Venkatachalam Krishnan, was lured into a fraudulent investment scheme through WhatsApp advertisements and group invitations.
According to the complaint filed by Krishnan, three unidentified individuals contacted him via WhatsApp, promoting an online trading opportunity. The scammers added him to a WhatsApp group and subsequently sent him a link to download an app called "Kotak." After registering on the app, Krishnan was persuaded to transfer funds for purchasing shares. However, the perpetrators absconded with the money without fulfilling their promises or returning the invested amount.
Following Krishnan's report, the Chitalsar police have registered a case under Sections 66(c) and 66(d) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Sub-Inspector Vengurlekar is currently leading the investigation into this cybercrime case.