By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 21 May: A man has alleged that he was cheated of nearly Rs 9 lakh by fraudsters who promised high returns on investment through a fake WhatsApp group. The complaint has been lodged at the Cyber Crime Police Station.
According to the complainant, Ravindra Singh Bumrah, a resident of MDDA Colony near ISBT, he came across an advertisement on LinkedIn on 26 January 2025. The ad claimed to be from Sharekhan Securities Ltd and invited people to join a WhatsApp group named “4-2 Miracle Asset Sharekhan Securities Ltd” for investment tips. The group had nearly 150 members, and instructions were regularly shared by a woman named Madhusudan Warrier.
Later, another person named Nisha Basu contacted him directly and encouraged him to invest money in IPOs and block trading. Trusting them, Ravindra transferred amounts between February and March 2025 totalling nearly Rs 9 lakh through various UPI transactions and bank transfers.
He was then given a fake online link that showed his investment growing to Rs 36.95 lakh. But when he tried to withdraw the money, he was told to first deposit 30% as commission. This raised his suspicion. Upon contacting the real Madhusudan Warrier on LinkedIn, he was told that the group was fake, and fraudsters were misusing her identity.
Realising he was scammed, he filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police. The police have started an investigation and have warned people to be cautious of online investment schemes and always verify the source before transferring money.
