Indirapuram Executive Duped of ₹7 Lakh in WhatsApp Investment Scam

A company executive from Indirapuram was cheated of nearly ₹7 lakh after cyber fraudsters lured him through a WhatsApp group posing as representatives of a reputed mutual fund company. The victim, Prashant Sharma, a resident of ATS Advantage Society in Ahinsa Khand-1, said he was added to one or two WhatsApp groups without consent, where the admins falsely claimed links to Canara Robeco Mutual Fund.

The group admins — identified as Ahana Gill and a man introducing himself as professor and CEO Rajneesh Narula — convinced Sharma to invest in an OTC trading scheme, promising high returns. Between September 17 and 20, Sharma transferred ₹6.93 lakh into multiple bank accounts on their instruction.

To appear genuine, the scammers even returned ₹96,000 to him. However, when Sharma sought the remaining amount, they claimed he had earned a profit of ₹11.10 lakh and demanded extra money as a 20% service fee and capital gains tax.

Growing suspicious, Sharma contacted Canara Robeco’s customer service and learned that the company does not provide investment advice via WhatsApp. Realising he had been duped, he approached the cyber police station and filed a complaint. Police have begun investigating the matter.