A 55-year-old IT engineer in Pune has allegedly lost ₹67.94 lakh after being lured into a fake stock-trading operation promoted through a WhatsApp group.

According to the complaint filed with Pune Cyber Police, scammers initially deposited ₹5,400 into the man’s bank account to make their investment scheme appear legitimate. After gaining his trust, they allegedly persuaded him to transfer tens of lakhs of rupees to accounts linked to the fraudulent trading operation.

The victim was shown supposed profits of approximately ₹8.46 crore on the fake platform. His suspicions were eventually triggered when he tried to withdraw the money and was told to first pay ₹1.17 crore in brokerage charges.

How the WhatsApp Investment Scam Started

The alleged fraud began in August after the Pune resident joined a WhatsApp group while looking for information about stock-market investments.

Members of the group reportedly discussed shares and initial public offerings (IPOs), creating the appearance of an active investment community. A woman who claimed to represent an investment company subsequently contacted the man and promoted the group’s investment recommendations.

The victim initially avoided making any investment. The fraudsters then allegedly offered him ₹5,000 to make an initial trade.

Soon afterward, ₹5,400 was actually credited to his bank account. The genuine transfer reportedly convinced him that the people behind the investment platform were legitimate.

Victim Transfers Nearly ₹68 Lakh

After gaining confidence in the scheme, the victim began following the trading recommendations provided through the WhatsApp group.

According to the police complaint, scammers directed him to transfer funds to different bank accounts through a customer-service facility associated with the purported trading platform.

His first major transfer was reportedly ₹9.70 lakh on September 2. He later made two additional transfers of ₹31 lakh and ₹27.24 lakh.

Together, the three transactions brought his alleged losses to ₹67.94 lakh.

Meanwhile, the trading application showed his account generating enormous returns. The platform reportedly displayed a balance of around ₹8.46 crore, giving him the impression that his investments had produced extraordinary profits.

₹1.17 Crore Withdrawal Demand Raises Alarm

The scam began to unravel when the victim attempted to withdraw the money shown in his account.

Instead of releasing the funds, the operators allegedly demanded another ₹1.17 crore, describing it as brokerage charges that had to be paid before the withdrawal could be processed.

The unusually large payment request made the victim suspicious. He already had experience using legitimate stock-trading platforms and questioned why such a substantial payment was required simply to access his purported profits.

Rather than transferring more money, he decided to investigate the investment company independently.

Visit to Mumbai Reveals Fake Platform

On September 15, the victim reportedly visited the Mumbai office of the company whose name had allegedly been used by the fraudsters.

During the visit, he discovered that the people who had contacted him and the trading platform he had been using had no genuine connection with the company.

The realisation led him to conclude that he had fallen victim to an online investment scam. He subsequently contacted the cybercrime helpline and approached Pune Cyber Police.

Investigators are now examining the bank accounts and financial transactions allegedly used to collect the victim’s money.

How Fake Trading Platforms Gain Victims’ Trust

The case highlights a common pattern in online investment fraud: scammers often establish credibility before asking victims for large sums.

Fraudsters may use WhatsApp groups filled with discussions about stocks, IPOs and market trends to create the impression of a professional investment community. They may also provide apparently successful trading recommendations or make a small payment to demonstrate that the system works.

Once a victim becomes comfortable, scammers can encourage increasingly larger deposits. Fake trading applications may then display substantial profits that exist only within the platform.

The final stage often involves demands for additional money under labels such as taxes, brokerage, withdrawal fees, account verification or processing charges.

Police Warn Investors About Online Trading Scams

Cybercrime investigators regularly advise investors to independently verify investment companies and trading platforms before transferring money.

Potential investors should be particularly cautious when strangers approach them through WhatsApp or social media with promises of unusually high returns. The presence of a professional-looking application, investment group or initial payment does not by itself establish that a platform is genuine.

Investors should also avoid sending additional money simply because an online platform displays large profits or claims that a withdrawal will be blocked until another payment is made.

A ₹5,400 Payment Became the First Step in a ₹67.94 Lakh Loss

The Pune case demonstrates how a relatively small transaction can be used to establish trust before a much larger financial loss occurs.

What began with an alleged ₹5,400 confidence-building payment ultimately resulted in the victim transferring ₹67.94 lakh. The fake platform’s display of ₹8.46 crore in supposed profits and the subsequent ₹1.17 crore withdrawal demand eventually exposed the alleged fraud.

Google has introduced its Fairwind Cybersecurity Program to provide advanced cybersecurity support to government entities, Google Cloud customers and partner organizations, with a focus on identifying, addressing and mitigating cyber threats.

What Is Google’s Fairwind Cybersecurity Program?

The program is designed to help organizations respond to evolving cyber threats, including automated attacks, software vulnerabilities and increasingly sophisticated threat actors. Google said the initiative will provide access to advanced artificial intelligence capabilities to assist security teams in detecting and responding to threats more efficiently.

The focus extends across both public and private organizations, with the aim of strengthening their ability to protect digital infrastructure from cyberattacks.

How Will Fairwind Help Organizations Tackle Cyber Threats?

A key component of Fairwind is access to Google’s Gemini AI models. The models are intended to support cybersecurity operations and help organizations proactively defend their information technology infrastructure.

Security teams can use AI capabilities to analyze large volumes of data, identify potential weaknesses and respond to emerging threats more quickly. The program could be particularly relevant for government agencies and critical infrastructure operators, where cyberattacks could disrupt essential services and expose sensitive information.

How Will Gemini AI Support Cybersecurity Operations?

Fairwind is also expected to focus on identifying and fixing vulnerabilities across public and private organizations. Instead of relying only on traditional, reactive cybersecurity measures, the initiative emphasizes prevention and continuous protection.

The approach is intended to help participating organizations identify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors, strengthening their overall security posture.

What Technologies Will Google Use Under Fairwind?

According to the program’s planned capabilities, Fairwind will incorporate Gemini 3.8 Flash Cyber along with CodeMender Harness to support vulnerability remediation at what Google describes as an agentic scale.

These capabilities are intended to automate parts of the vulnerability-patching process, potentially allowing organizations to address security weaknesses more quickly and efficiently.

Google Announces Wider Cybersecurity Investment

Alongside the Fairwind announcement, Google has released its U.S. Cybersecurity Impact Report, outlining the company’s broader investments in cybersecurity. The report details a $100 million global cybersecurity initiative aimed at improving cyber resilience among organizations and communities.

As part of this investment, approximately $36 million has been allocated to 35 cyber clinics. These clinics are intended to provide cybersecurity assistance to organizations that may have limited resources while facing significant cyber risks.

Which Organizations Will Benefit From Google’s Cybersecurity Support?

The cyber clinics are expected to support organizations in responding to cyber risks, including helping healthcare organizations recover from cyberattacks and assisting municipal utilities in strengthening their defenses against sophisticated threats, including state-sponsored threats.

Google’s broader cybersecurity efforts reflect the growing importance of cooperation between technology companies, governments and other organizations as digital systems become increasingly important to healthcare, utilities, public administration and other essential services.

With the Fairwind Cybersecurity Program and its wider cybersecurity investments, Google is combining artificial intelligence, automated vulnerability remediation and direct support for organizations as part of a more proactive approach to cyber defense.

The Road Ahead

As cyber threats become faster and more automated, manual security responses simply can’t keep up. Google’s fusion of agentic AI patching and direct community support offers a glimpse into the future of digital defense—where threats are stopped before they ever cause damage.

Police in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore have busted a cyber fraud network allegedly operating through the buying and selling of SIM cards. The investigation revealed that one SIM card was passed from its registered holder to several other people for money before eventually being used in cyber fraud. Police have arrested Rajesh Chaudhary, 42, in connection with the case and are searching for Bhagwandas alias Nana, Himanshu Junwal and Ashish Sharma.

How Did 151 SIM Cards Get Linked to 212 Fraud Complaints?

The case came to light during verification of suspicious data received from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre. Police found that 151 suspicious SIM cards linked to 49 point-of-sale holders and SIM-selling agents in the Indore urban area had been used in 212 financial fraud complaints registered across different states and cities.

Following the finding, investigators began examining the suspected numbers, their registered holders and the people involved in issuing and transferring the SIM cards.

During the investigation, one suspicious SIM was traced to Rohit Dalve, 27, a resident of Swarnbag Colony. During questioning, Dalve told investigators that he had issued the SIM on March 15, 2026, after completing the required document verification.

The SIM was issued in the name of Rajesh Chaudhary, 42, of Indore. Police subsequently questioned Chaudhary, leading investigators to uncover the chain through which the SIM allegedly changed hands.

How Did One SIM Pass Through Multiple Hands?

According to police, Chaudhary had obtained the SIM using his Aadhaar card but later handed it over to Bhagwandas alias Nana for ₹200.

Bhagwandas allegedly passed the SIM to Himanshu Junwal for financial gain and received around ₹500 in return. Investigators found that Junwal subsequently handed the same SIM to Ashish Sharma, who allegedly used the number for cyber fraud.

The investigation therefore revealed a chain in which the SIM moved from its registered holder to several individuals in exchange for money before reaching the alleged fraudster.

Such repeated transfers can make it difficult for investigators to immediately establish the identity of the person actually operating a SIM during a cybercrime.

How Were Victims Allegedly Trapped With Clothing and Franchise Offers?

Investigators found that the suspicious number was allegedly used to contact people with offers of jeans and pants at wholesale prices.

The accused allegedly collected money from customers but failed to supply the promised goods. In another method, victims were allegedly offered franchises for wholesale clothing businesses and asked to make payments.

The case was also linked to a complaint filed by Anil Kumar Gupta, a resident of Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh. According to the complaint, the accused allegedly offered him a franchise for a wholesale jeans and pants business.

They allegedly demanded ₹30,000 for the franchise and collected ₹10,000 from him as part of the deal. However, neither the promised franchise nor the goods were provided. Gupta subsequently filed a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal on May 27, 2026.

Who Has Been Arrested and Who Is Still Being Searched For?

Based on the complaint and findings from the investigation, MIG police registered a case and initiated further action.

Rajesh Chaudhary has been arrested, while Bhagwandas alias Nana, Himanshu Junwal and Ashish Sharma remain absconding.

Police are now examining the roles allegedly played by each person in obtaining, transferring and ultimately using the SIM card.

Is There a Bigger SIM Network Behind the Cyber Frauds?

Investigators are examining whether the 151 suspicious SIM cards linked to 212 financial fraud complaints were operated by a single organised network or were being used by multiple cybercrime groups.

Police are also looking into the wider network involved in the transfer and misuse of SIM cards, including the role of point-of-sale holders and SIM-selling agents linked to the suspicious numbers.

The case highlights the risks associated with SIM cards being obtained in one person’s name and subsequently handed over to others for money. Users should never sell, rent or hand over SIM cards registered in their name, as misuse of the number in cybercrime can bring the registered subscriber under investigation while making it harder for police to identify the actual fraudster.