Thane: Woman Loses 22 Lakh in Sophisticated Facebook-Linked Investment Scam

In a shocking case of cyber fraud, Vinita Suresh More, a 36-year-old working woman from Thane has fallen victim to an elaborate online investment scam, losing over 22 lakh rupees. The scam, which unfolded between July 2 and August 5, 2024, began with a seemingly innocuous Facebook advertisement and culminated in the victim transferring funds to multiple bank accounts through a fraudulent mobile application.

More, an employee at Sahyog Multi-State Co-op Society, was initially lured by a Facebook ad for "SMC Global Securities" in June 2024, promising high returns on IPO and direct trading investments. The scammers skillfully manipulated their victim through a WhatsApp group named "SMS Global Securities B7," where fake success stories were shared to build credibility.

Convinced by the scheme, More was directed to download an app through a suspicious link. Over the course of a month, she transferred a total of 22,70,098 rupees from her Axis Bank account to various accounts provided by the scammers.

The FIR, filed yesterday at Naupada police station invokes Section 318(4) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita , and Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. These sections pertain to online fraud, identity theft, and cheating by personation using computer resources.