Hyderabad: A 49-year-old surgeon in Hyderabad allegedly lost Rs 2.30 crore after being lured into investing through a fake online trading platform promoted via a WhatsApp group.
The victim, who works at a private hospital and lives in Bandlaguda Jagir, was reportedly added to a WhatsApp group named “Grow Invest Tech Pvt Ltd.j9” in July 2025. A woman identifying herself as Abhilasha Bisht allegedly introduced the group as a platform aimed at helping members improve their trading skills.
The group was allegedly operated by a person identified as Lalit Keshre, who was presented as a market analyst. Members were reportedly promised access to stock market opportunities, including block trades, IPO allocations and institutional investments.
The surgeon was subsequently persuaded to open a Qualified Institutional Buyer (QIB) account through a web-based trading platform. He was then instructed to transfer money to multiple bank accounts provided by individuals posing as customer support representatives.
According to the complaint, the WhatsApp group regularly shared screenshots purportedly showing substantial profits and successful withdrawals. The victim also saw significant gains reflected in his trading account, which allegedly convinced him that the platform was legitimate.
Police said the victim was initially allowed to withdraw Rs 50,000. However, when he later attempted to withdraw larger amounts, his requests were allegedly rejected or delayed.
He eventually realised that the profits displayed on the platform were fictitious and that he had allegedly been cheated of Rs 2,30,98,146.
The surgeon subsequently approached the Cyberabad Cyber Crime police, following which a case was registered and an investigation was launched.
The case highlights a growing tactic used by online investment fraudsters: creating seemingly professional trading platforms, fake investor groups and fabricated profit records to gain victims’ trust before persuading them to transfer increasingly larger sums of money.
