In Pune, a hotelier reportedly lost 43 lakh rupees in a share trading scheme conducted online between February 18, 2024, and May 14, 2025, at his residence in Camp Pune. Sachin Vasant Kedari, a 52-year-old Camp Pune resident, lodged a complaint at Lashkar Police Station on Tuesday, May 14th, regarding the alleged cheating fraud. According to the authorities, the victim was contacted by a cyber thief through WhatsApp. The cyber thief enticed him with promises of profitable returns through share market trading, block trading, and IPOs.
Subsequently, the victim agreed to invest money as per the cyber thief's instructions. The victim was then directed to join a WhatsApp group via a provided link. Upon joining, he was instructed to download a trading application. After installing the app, he invested a total of Rs 48 lakhs and received Rs 5 lakh in return. Encouraged by the initial profits, he continued to invest more funds. However, he faced difficulties in withdrawing his money shortly after.
When he sought assistance from the cyber thieves, they demanded additional payments. Realizing he was being scammed, the victim approached Lashkar police station and reported the incident. Police Inspector Pawar is currently overseeing the ongoing investigation.