Mumbai: A 53-year-old businessman from Andheri East has lodged a complaint with the West Region cyber police, alleging a Rs 5.7 crore financial fraud through an elaborate share market scam involving WhatsApp and online trading platforms.

The complainant was contacted by a man who identified himself as Aman Malik and posed as a representative of “AXISI GlobalPro” under Axis Securities.

Malik offered investment guidance and added the complainant to a WhatsApp group named ‘Y21-VIP-WTIC World Top Investor Competition,’ where members shared fabricated stories of their success in share market investment.

Convinced by claims made by Malik and others in the group, the businessman transferred Rs 5.7 crore to multiple bank accounts between October 18 and November 11. When he tried to withdraw his investments, Malik and his associates provided vague responses and failed to return the money.

Suspecting that he had been scammed, the complainant contacted Axis Securities and found out that the company had no connection with anyone named Malik or the scheme.

On December 21, the complainant filed a formal complaint and the case was registered under sections 318(4), 319(2), 336(2), 336(3), 338, 340(2), 61 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act along with sections 66(C) and 66(D) of IT Act against an unknown person. Further investigation is underway.