Navi Mumbai: A case has been registered by Cyber police against unidentified cyber criminals for cheating a retired government officer from the Maharashtra Secretariat by luring into a share investment scheme promising high returns and conning him of Rs 4.73 crore.

The cybercriminal gang convinced him to transfer funds to multiple bank accounts. Following the complaint, Navi Mumbai Cyber Police have registered a case under fraud and IT Act sections and have launched an investigation to track the culprits.

The 70-year-old complainant, a resident of Vashi, came across a Facebook advertisement in November promoting stock market investments. Curious to learn more, he provided his details in the online form. Soon after, the fraudsters contacted him via WhatsApp, asking him to join a private investment group and provided a link for the same.

“Once he joined the group, the scammers began advising him on stock market investments. Encouraged by their tips, the victim transferred funds from his wife’s Demat account to purchase shares. The fraudsters initially made it appear as if he was gaining profits on some stocks while facing losses on others. Later, they introduced him to a mobile application called 'Indkar', claiming it offered better investment opportunities. The victim downloaded the app and made an initial deposit of Rs 5,000, after which he was shown a fake profit of Rs 2 lakh. This instilled trust in the scheme, prompting him to invest through an entity called KKR Global Investment Firm,” said a police officer.

For the next few weeks, the scammers sent daily messages, encouraging him to invest more. Over time, he deposited Rs 4.73 crore into the app. Eventually, his Indkar account displayed a fake profit of Rs 12.16 crore.

On March 5, when the victim attempted to withdraw his profits, he found that his account had been frozen due to an "incorrect bank account number." The fraudsters then demanded an additional 10% payment (Rs 1.2 crore) to reactivate the account. When he refused, they lowered the demand to Rs 40 lakh.

Realizing that he had been scammed, the victim approached the Cyber Police, who have now registered a case and launched an investigation against the unknown cyber gang.