Mumbai: CA duped of Rs 23 lakh by cyber fraudsters posing as SEBI-authorised market advisors

The chartered accountant clicked connected the nexus to get much accusation and was added to a WhatsApp radical named “555 IIFL Securities Add Learning Add Exchange”. He recovered that determination were 139 different radical successful the radical and that 1 Gaurav Sharma, on with his adjunct Mauli Agrawal, were managing it.

Sharma introduced himself arsenic an advisor astatine IIFL Securities and claimed that helium would assistance the CA with regular investigation of stock trading and besides stock accusation astir buying and selling shares. “The CA observed the messages successful the radical for a mates of days and saw that galore radical were thanking Sharma and Agrawal for helping them make profits. Subsequently, they contacted him personally, asked for his details, and sent SEBI documents claiming that they were registered brokers,” an serviceman progressive successful the probe said.

Enticed by their committedness of precocious profits, the complainant agreed to put with them. He past downloaded their exertion connected his mobile and created an account.

“On the app, a database of stocks to bargain and merchantability was provided astatine 9.30 americium each day. I would bargain and merchantability shares accordingly, and different members of the radical would station astir their profits, which made maine consciousness assured astir investing wealth successful the banal market. I started trusting them arsenic I was making profits from buying and selling shares arsenic per their instructions,” the complainant’s connection read.

The complainant claimed that helium had invested astir Rs 30 lakh by June 3 done the application, which showed that helium had earned a nett of astir Rs 50 lakh.

“In between, helium withdrew Rs 7 lakh, and arsenic they allowed him to bash so, helium trusted them further. However, successful mid-June, erstwhile helium showed involvement successful withdrawing much money, the fraudsters started asking him for a 25 per cent commission. As they began harassing him for money, helium realised that helium had been duped,” said an officer.

The CA initially lodged a ailment astatine the helpline number, aft which helium submitted a ailment with the cyber constabulary station. After a preliminary inquiry, a lawsuit was registered connected Monday.