In a significant breakthrough, cyber crime police have apprehended three individuals from Jodhpur, Rajasthan, involved in a well-coordinated stock market scam that defrauded an investor of Rs3.6 crore. The fraudsters targeted Surinder Kumar Thakur, a resident of Sector 49, Chandigarh, who had joined a seemingly legitimate WhatsApp group promising lucrative returns from stock investments.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Mahesh Jangid (24), Vishal Gaur (25), and Hemant Parjapati (26). According to the police investigation, the trio operated a fraudulent scheme under the guise of a stock trading platform called the “P15 Stock Market Exchange Club.”
Surinder Kumar Thakur, who is a stock trader, became a victim of this well-oiled scam in December 2023. He was introduced to the fraudulent WhatsApp group, which appeared to offer high returns on stock market investments. Trusting the platform, he began investing large sums of money. However, instead of legitimate stock transactions, the scammers used fake institutional accounts and fraudulent trading links to induce him to transfer money into the scheme.
The scam was carefully orchestrated, with the accused providing fake trading links through WhatsApp messages. These links were designed to look like real stock trading websites. They falsely claimed that the links were affiliated with SMC Global Securities Limited, a SEBI-registered entity, to further gain the victim’s trust. In reality, these links led to phony websites, and the scammers manipulated the market data to create the illusion of profits.
The accused communicated solely through WhatsApp, likely to prevent their identities from being traced. They deliberately avoided phone calls, likely to prevent direct interactions that could raise suspicions. This tactic enabled them to conceal their true identities and maintain a level of anonymity.
The investigation revealed that Thakur had been tricked into transferring a total of Rs3.6 crore to these scammers, who then used the funds for their personal gain. After the scam was discovered, Thakur approached the cyber crime police, leading to the arrest of the accused.
The police are continuing to investigate the case to determine if the accused were involved in other similar scams. The arrested individuals have been booked under charges of cheating, fraudulent activity, and cyber crime, with further legal actions expected.
