Hyderabad. A 47-year-old software program engineer from Tellapur has allegedly misplaced greater than ₹3.2 crore after being drawn right into a faux inventory buying and selling funding rip-off operated by a WhatsApp group and a fraudulent cell software. Police stated the sufferer was lured with guarantees of inventory ideas, IPO features and guaranteed returns earlier than being persuaded to switch massive sums into a number of financial institution accounts.
WhatsApp Group Used to Construct Belief
In response to the criticism, the sufferer obtained a WhatsApp message on October 31, 2025, inviting him to affix an internet inventory ideas group named “Stocko Merchants Hub A663.” The group directors allegedly promoted funding alternatives and claimed that individuals might earn excessive returns by inventory buying and selling and IPO-related investments.
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Investigators stated the accused shared faux revenue screenshots and staged withdrawal proofs to make the platform seem real. The sufferer was later directed to obtain a buying and selling software and switch funds into financial institution accounts managed by the fraudsters.
Between December 2025 and January 2026, the sufferer reportedly transferred over ₹3.36 crore. Police stated he was allowed to withdraw ₹10 lakh initially, allegedly to keep up his confidence within the platform and persuade him that the funding system was reputable.
Withdrawal Blocked, App Later Turns into Inaccessible
The fraud got here to mild after the sufferer tried to withdraw the remaining funds. The accused allegedly blocked his withdrawal requests and demanded further funds within the title of service fees. Quickly after, communication with the operators stopped.
By March 2026, the applying grew to become inaccessible and all contact with the individuals operating the platform was misplaced. The sufferer then approached the Telangana Cyber Safety Bureau, which registered a case beneath provisions of the IT Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police stated preliminary findings level to a structured cyber fraud community utilizing social media messaging, faux buying and selling dashboards and coordinated monetary mule accounts throughout a number of states. Investigators are actually analyzing checking account mapping, digital transaction information and the broader monetary path linked to the case.
Specialists Warn In opposition to Faux Buying and selling Platforms
Cybercrime consultants have warned that fraudsters are more and more exploiting funding aspirations by creating convincing digital ecosystems, together with faux dashboards, fabricated revenue information and impersonation-based advertising campaigns.
Cybercrime professional and former IPS officer Professor Triveni Singh stated fraudsters are utilizing extremely convincing digital platforms to govern belief. He stated strict due diligence and higher verification consciousness are important to stop large-scale monetary losses.
Authorities urged residents to confirm all investment-related communications and keep away from downloading unknown purposes shared by messaging platforms. Officers careworn that reputable monetary platforms don’t assure mounted returns and don’t depend on unsolicited WhatsApp teams for funding schemes.
Investigators anticipate additional progress because the case develops, together with doable arrests and asset tracing. Police are specializing in figuring out the important thing handlers behind the faux buying and selling ecosystem, whereas additionally urging residents to report suspicious funding schemes instantly by cybercrime helplines.
