The North Region Cyber Police has arrested three individuals, including Rushak Shirodkar, in connection with a massive Rs2.77 crore investment fraud that targeted a Goregaon resident through a bogus trading scheme.
The victim, a 49-year-old man, was added to a WhatsApp group named K05-IIFL Securities Ltd after clicking a link sent via social media. The group shared fake investment tips and trading schemes, luring him to download a fraudulent share trading app. Promised high returns through IPOs and block trading, the man ended up transferring Rs2.77 crore.
When he tried to withdraw his funds, the accused used excuses like tax penalties and low credit scores to delay payment. Realizing he had been duped, the victim filed a complaint.
The investigation, led by DCP Datta Nalawade, uncovered that Rs71 lakh had been transferred to a bank account under the name Rudra Enterprises, opened by Rushak Shirodkar (38). He, along with Krishna Gawli (24) and Sohail Shaikh alias Jack (30), used this account for laundering funds. Police seized four mobile phones, chequebooks, and debit cards from the trio.
Authorities further revealed that the same bank accounts were used in 28 other criminal fraud cases, amounting to a total of Rs18 crore.
The detection was carried out by a team including Senior Inspector Suvarna Shinde, Inspector Kiran Aher, Asst. Inspector Sandeep Pachangne, and Sub-Inspector Dhanvesh Patil.
