New Delhi: The Cyber Crime Wing of Cyberabad Police has arrested 13 people from multiple states in connection with eight cybercrime cases registered between June 25 and July 12. The most significant case involves an alleged ₹61.39 lakh online trading and IPO investment fraud, in which a woman was reportedly lured into investing through a fake trading platform promising high returns.
According to police, three of the accused arrested in the investment fraud case—Tilak Seiwal, Kapil Ahir and Sumit Ahir, all residents of Madhya Pradesh—allegedly provided bank accounts to cyber fraudsters in exchange for commissions. Investigators said these accounts were used to receive and route the money defrauded from the victim.
The investigation revealed that the victim first came across a sponsored advertisement on Instagram promoting lucrative stock market investment opportunities. After clicking on the advertisement, she was added to WhatsApp groups where fraudsters posing as representatives of a reputed investment company, along with fake analysts and mentors, persuaded her to invest. She was subsequently instructed to download a fraudulent trading application called VenSec Pro.
Police said the application displayed fabricated trading activity and showed virtual profits exceeding ₹1.14 crore to convince the victim that her investments were generating substantial returns. To build credibility, the fraudsters initially allowed her to withdraw ₹4,500. They then persuaded her to make repeated investments in purported over-the-counter (OTC) trades, upper-circuit stocks, block deals and IPO subscriptions.
When the victim later attempted to withdraw her investment and the purported profits, the fraudsters demanded additional payments under the guise of commissions, taxes and processing charges. After receiving the additional funds, they allegedly blocked her trading account and ceased all communication, resulting in a loss of ₹61.39 lakh.
Cyberabad Police said that of the eight cybercrime cases detected during the review period, four involved online trading fraud. The remaining cases included one each related to visa fraud, cryptocurrency fraud, child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and job fraud. Among the 13 accused arrested, eight are linked to online trading fraud cases, two to a visa fraud case, and one each to cryptocurrency fraud, CSAM and job fraud.
Police also stated that court orders have been obtained to facilitate the refund of ₹76.09 lakh to victims in 36 cybercrime cases. Investigators are continuing to analyse digital evidence, banking transactions and money trails to identify additional suspects and uncover the full extent of the network.
Cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said that investment schemes promoted through social media advertisements, WhatsApp or Telegram groups promising extraordinary returns are often part of organised cyber fraud operations. He advised investors to verify whether an investment platform is registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) before investing, avoid downloading trading applications through unknown links, and remain cautious of any demand for advance commissions, taxes or processing fees for the release of investment proceeds.
