Hyderabad, July 31 (NSS): According to Cyber Crimes sources, a 43-year-old male private employee from the city became a victim of a scam. He received a message through WhatsApp inquiring if he was interested in the stock market. When he replied affirmatively, the scammers explained that there were two types of investments – short-term and long-term.
The victim agreed to short-term investments. He was added to a WhatsApp group called “A19 Dhan-Raise Securities Learning & Guidance Alliance – Sixth Phase,” which had 113 members. When the victim agreed to invest, they sent him an app link https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=minnnngtech.sm&pli=1/ that redirected to the Google Play Store. After downloading the app, he initially invested a small amount. Later, he invested big amount in four transactions based on the stocks provided by the scammers and was able to withdraw some profits.
Following this, he invested in block trading and IPO stocks, including: Med Nova Diagnostic Services Limited: 520 shares allotted; Solar Active Pharma Sciences Limited 53 shares allotted; Samkrg Pistons and Rings Limited 132 shares allotted; Sampre Nutritions Limited 660 shares allotted; ADTECH Systems Limited 797 shares allotted; Shri Krishna Devcon Limited 1820 shares allotted; Yash Inn Ventures Limited: 2230 shares allotted; Asian Petro Products and Exports Limited 9602 shares allotted; KEYFINSEV.NS: 1078 shares allotted and WALCHANNAG.NS: 1357 shares allotted.
The victim was forced to subscribe to the IPOs and was threatened with legal issues, account freezing, and other consequences if he failed to deposit the required amounts. The scammers mentioned false legal rules and invoked the names of the police and the court to intimidate him. Out of fear, the victim invested in the IPOs.
When he requested to withdraw and settle his account with all the principal and profits, the scammers introduced a supposed company rule requiring him to pay a TDS tax first. When he questioned the rules of TDS, they insisted that the TDS had to be paid to release the funds from his trading account to personal bank account. All the members of the A19 Dhan-Raise Securities Learning & Guidance Alliance – Sixth Phase echoed this. Because of this, the victim considered filing a complaint with cyber crime. The fraudsters continued to harass him, threatening to donate total funds Rs 11,51,000 to the RBI and settle 20% of the fund to charity if he did not pay the tax. Victim immediately filed an online complaint seeking help, added the Cyber crime officials.
