Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh): Cybercriminals used a fake advertisement of a reputed brokerage firm to cheat a Ghaziabad resident by promising high returns from share trading and defrauded him of ₹8.70 lakh. The victim was added to a WhatsApp group through a Facebook advertisement that displayed the name of Axis Securities, where he was lured into an investment scam.
According to the complaint filed by Arvind Kumar Singh, a resident of Bharat City, Tila Mor, he saw an advertisement on Facebook last month in the name of Axis Securities. The advertisement presented a person as a financial expert named Naveen Kulkarni. When the victim searched for information about this name online, he also found a LinkedIn profile, which made him believe that the person was a genuine expert.
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After this, the victim was added to a WhatsApp group that reportedly had 154 members. The group claimed to offer high returns through stock market investments. Initially, the victim invested some money, and his account showed profits. However, when he tried to withdraw the money, he was unable to receive the amount.
The victim alleged that he was later asked to deposit additional money. He was threatened that if he did not pay more, he could face a heavy fine from SEBI. Due to this fear, he came under pressure. When he tried contacting other members of the group, all the numbers were found switched off and no one could be reached.
After realizing that he had been cheated, the victim filed a complaint at the cybercrime police station. Police have registered a case and started an investigation. Officials said digital evidence and transaction records are being examined to identify the accused.
Cybercrime experts say that in such frauds, scammers create fake social media advertisements and investment groups to trap victims. Generally, they first show small profits to build trust and later extract large sums of money.
Police have urged people to verify information from the official websites of companies and platforms before investing in any unknown investment scheme. People are also advised to avoid trusting suspicious WhatsApp groups or social media advertisements. Cyber police said efforts are being made to track the accused and take swift legal action.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
