A 42-year-old homemaker from Ahmedabad has filed a police complaint after falling victim to a sophisticated online investment scam, losing ₹2 lakh in the process. The Satellite police have registered a case and launched an investigation.
According to a media report, the victim, Rashmi Mahajan, who lives on Ambli-Bopal Road, came across an investment advertisement on Facebook on May 5, 2025. She responded to the ad using the contact number listed, and the conversation soon shifted to WhatsApp.
She was then asked to fill out a Google Form through a shared link. A woman identifying herself as Aaradhya Mishra later informed Rashmi that her application had been approved. On May 7, she was added to a WhatsApp group named SCPLC FINANCE FORUM 188 and instructed to download an app called SC-ELITE, which was not available on the Play Store but could be installed via a web link.
Following further directions through the app’s chat support, Rashmi made her first payment of ₹50,000 on May 7, followed by another ₹50,000 on May 8, transferring the funds to two different bank accounts.
The app showed a profit of ₹25,993, which she was able to withdraw to her ICICI Bank account on May 20. Motivated by the apparent success, she invested an additional ₹2 lakh on May 21 via Google Pay to an IDFC First Bank account.
However, the next day, she was told she had to invest ₹2.5 lakh more to qualify for an IPO allotment. Growing suspicious, Rashmi refused and realised she had likely been scammed.
She immediately reported the fraud by calling the 1930 cybercrime helpline and later filed a complaint. The scammers used WhatsApp communication, a fake investment app, and multiple bank accounts to lure her with promises of high returns.
Police have registered an FIR under relevant IPC sections for cheating and criminal breach of trust, and Satellite police are now investigating the case.