Man duped in stock market trap, his friends pay heavier price

Rajkot: A field officer working with a reputed company in Bhavnagar didn't just fall prey to a fraudulent online stock investment scheme himself; his misadventure proved to be more disastrous for his friends and relatives, whom he convinced that the plan was genuine.

While the complainant, Ajay Patel (46), lost Rs 29.2 lakh from his personal savings, his 11 friends and relatives collectively lost Rs 72.2 lakh in the debacle. Patel, a resident of Surat, filed a complaint with the Cybercrime police station (Bhavnagar range) after realising that he was duped.

On Feb 13, he received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number. The message appeared to come from a financial advisory source and offered access to exclusive IPO investment tips, with profits ranging from 30% to 50%. Patel clicked the link, which led him to a WhatsApp group filled with daily stock market tips and testimonials of success. Soon after, he was directed to download an app called ‘Creation Invigi' and open an online demat account through another link sent by the group's administrators.

Lured by the prospects of quick money, Patel began investing. Between March 17 and April 9, he transferred more than Rs 1 crore through the app, targeting various IPOs and stock trades. Of that amount, Rs 29.2 lakh came from his own savings. The remaining Rs 72.2 lakh was pooled from 11 friends and relatives he personally convinced to invest.

As the investments piled up, the app showed handsome returns. At one point, Patel's trading balance displayed a staggering Rs 4.96 crore as profit. But the illusion shattered on April 11, when he attempted to withdraw Rs 2 crore and was told to first deposit Rs 20 lakh as ‘tax' to access the funds. Patel realised that something was fishy, and all his subsequent efforts to contact the app administrators were futile.

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Woman defrauded of Rs 5.5L after mobile hacked via WhatsApp link

Morbi: A 37-year-old woman, Rasila Patel, filed a complaint at the Morbi City A Division police station after falling victim to a cyber fraud involving unauthorised bank transfers.

According to her complaint, Patel received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number on April 8, 2025. The message, allegedly sent in the name of IndusInd Bank, triggered a cyberattack upon being opened. Her mobile phone was hacked, and her WhatsApp account was subsequently deactivated.

After reinstalling the app, she was shocked to find multiple alerts from her bank informing her that Rs 5.5 lakh was transferred from her account to various others without her knowledge. Preliminary investigation suggests that four unauthorised transactions were carried out by the fraudster, who is believed to have gained access to her device via WhatsApp.