When Rajkumar, a teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya in Laksar, clicked on a WhatsApp link in July, he thought he had discovered a golden investment opportunity. The group, named Investment Circle, looked convincing. It had 40 members and two active administrators—Rajiv Mehta and Kritika Joshi—who shared messages about lucrative stock market returns. The polished structure of the group gave Rajkumar little reason to doubt its authenticity.
On July 12, Rajkumar joined the group. Within three days, Joshi posted a link to a mobile application that promised easy registration and smooth investment processes. Tempted by the promise of fourfold returns, Rajkumar signed up without hesitation.
The Illusion of Quick Profits
The scheme operated with calculated precision. Once registered, Rajkumar was provided with bank account details for transferring funds. Between July 15 and July 19, he deposited ₹20,85,806 across multiple transactions. The fraudsters kept communication open, reassuring him with fake dashboards and encouraging him to invest more.
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To maintain credibility, they credited a token profit of ₹50,000 into his account, strengthening his belief that the scheme was genuine. But when larger profits failed to materialize and repeated attempts to withdraw his funds were ignored, Rajkumar realized he had fallen into a trap.
Police Investigation Underway
Shaken, Rajkumar lodged a complaint at the cyber police station. Station in-charge Tribhuvan Singh Routela confirmed that a formal case has been registered. Investigators are now tracing digital trails linked to the WhatsApp group and the suspicious bank accounts. Officials believe the operation may be part of a larger network of organized cybercriminals.
The case has underscored the challenges faced by police as scams shift from phone calls and emails to encrypted platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, where anonymity protects perpetrators.
Warnings Against Rising Cybercrime
Authorities are once again urging citizens to be cautious. Government advisories stress avoiding unknown links, unsolicited investment groups, or schemes that guarantee unusually high profits. Experts argue that while technology has made investment easier, it has also opened new avenues for exploitation.
“Greed and trust are the two things cybercriminals exploit most effectively,” said one official. “The best protection is skepticism—verify before you invest.”
Rajkumar’s story serves as yet another reminder of how digital deception can wipe out lifelong savings within days, leaving victims with little more than lessons learned too late.