Pune Doctor Loses Rs 1.2 Cr After Joining WhatsApp Group!

Pune: An Army doctor from Pune lost Rs 1.2 crore to cyber criminals after joining a WhatsApp group through a link.

According to a report in The Indian Express, the doctor fell into the scam in mid-July when he was added to a WhatsApp group through a link sent to him.

The group admins welcomed lured him with promises of getting high returns from stock market investments. Believing it to be a legitimate group, the victim later downloaded a trading application. It was a fraudulent platform designed to syphon funds from unsuspecting users.

Over a span of roughly 40 days, the doctor made nearly 35 transactions amounting Rs 1.22 crore. He transferred the money to various fraudulent bank accounts as directed by the app. The fraudulent app falsely indicated his total earnings had reached Rs 10.26 crore.

But when the doctor tried to withdraw his so-called profits, the fraudsters demanded a fee amounting to five percent of his gains—over Rs 45 lakh. They threatened to freeze his earnings if he refused.

The doctor became suspicious and checked up the registered address of the platform in New Delhi. It turned out to be fictitious.

Realising that he had been cheated, the doctor filed a complaint through the Cyber Crime helpline, leading to an official FIR with the Cyber Police Station of Pune City police.

Earlier this year, in an official advisory, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) noted that these cyber criminals are increasingly using social media channels like WhatsApp and Telegram, along with live broadcasts, to attract potential targets.