A 62-year-old woman from Thane was scammed out of nearly Rs1.5 crore after being lured by promises of “high returns” on her investments, police reported on Thursday. The victim, a resident of the Kavesar area, was in contact with the accused between April and June this year.
According to the police, the suspects added the woman to a WhatsApp group, provided her with links, and encouraged her to invest a total of Rs1.45 crore. They assured her of lucrative returns, but despite multiple follow-ups, she did not receive any profits.
Disappointed and suspicious, the woman eventually approached the Kasarwadavli police station. An FIR has been registered, and the accused have been identified as Ushma Shah, Sunita Kumari, Abhijit Gandhi, Vivek Patel, Ketan Marwadi, Juni V Patel, and Naresh Kumar D Jadeja. The suspects face charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology (IT) Act for their involvement in the scam.
This case highlights the growing threat of investment scams that prey on individuals seeking to make high returns in a short period. Authorities are urging the public to be cautious when approached with investment opportunities promising unusually high returns.
