Hyderabad retiree loses ₹77.10 lakh in online stock trading fraud
HYDERABAD: A 70-year-old retired employee from Sanath Nagar has lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police alleging that he was cheated of ₹77.10 lakh in an online stock trading fraud carried out through WhatsApp groups and a fake trading platform.
According to the complaint, the victim, was contacted on WhatsApp on December 30, 2025, by an unidentified person who introduced himself as Mohan Sharma and enquired about his interest in stock trading. After expressing interest, he was added to a WhatsApp group named “A-4 Share Bazaar Strategies”, where stock market tips and recommendations were regularly shared.
Fake trading app, false profit claims
Victim stated that he was later sent a link to open a trading account, through which he entered personal details, including his Aadhaar number. He began trading as per instructions provided in the group. The fraudsters subsequently promised higher returns and IPO allotments and added him, without his consent, to another WhatsApp group titled “L1 Freedom Wings Group – A Training Plan”.
The group allegedly promised returns ranging from 200% to 300% and repeatedly pressured him to invest more money, including an insistence to invest ₹1 crore. Suspecting fraud, victim stopped further payments and reported the matter to the national cybercrime helpline 1930 before approaching the Cyber Crime Police Station.
He told police that the trading application falsely displayed his total investment as ₹92,27,600, an IPO amount of ₹2,05,084 and pending dues of ₹1,08,86,916.
Money routed through several bank accounts
Police said the complainant transferred ₹77.10 lakh between January 2 and January 17, 2026, through multiple transactions to different bank accounts linked to entities such as Maa Shree Kamakhya Enterprises, Newonland Techno OPC Private Limited, ONS Enterprises, Sikander Enterprises and Shakti Enterprises.
The payments were made from accounts held with ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, Central Bank of India and Union Bank of India to beneficiary accounts in Axis Bank, IndusInd Bank, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank and Bandhan Bank, according to transaction details submitted with the complaint.
The complainant also shared a web link allegedly used for the fraudulent trading platform and provided three international contact numbers used by the fraudsters to communicate with him.
Cyber crime police said a case has been registered against unknown persons and efforts are on to trace the beneficiaries and freeze the accounts involved.
