3 duped of Rs 89 lakh in investment frauds

Kolkata: In an indication of unending financial cybercrime and corporate fraud in the city, the Kolkata Police registered three separate cases in the past 48 hours involving fraudulent stock trading applications and a criminal partnership conspiracy, collectively defrauding citizens of over Rs 89 lakh.In the first incident, a resident of Shri Aurobindo Road was duped of over Rs 46 lakh. The victim was lured through a WhatsApp message into downloading a fraudulent trading application operating under the guise of an institutional firm.Guided by individuals identifying themselves as Ananya Kharji and others, the investor initially deposited Rs 20,000, which showed fictitious profits from multiple stock listings. However, when the victim attempted a full withdrawal, the fraudsters demanded a 15% "fund verification fee" to supposedly prevent tax fraud. The victim and his spouse transferred Rs 463,050 to a designated beneficiary account under the name Dildar Reza, followed by an additional Rs 200,000 settled as a "service commission" to an account under KC Enterprises, before realising they had been scammed.In a highly similar cyber fraud scheme, a 45-year-old resident of Shyampukur was defrauded of Rs 1,401,000. The investor engaged with a fraudulent entity after seeing an advertisement on Facebook. The company falsely claimed a Securities and Exchange Board of India registration. A service manager named Ananya Kulkarni coerced the victim into transferring large sums across multiple institutional bank accounts under the pretext of "SEBI required fees". The platform subsequently froze the account and blocked all withdrawal attempts while continuing to demand capital gains taxes.Meanwhile, a third financial crime emerged from Kankurgachi, where a local businessman filed a judicial petition under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).The petitioner alleged that three brothers from Jodhpur, Rajasthan — Anna Ram, Keshu Ram and Dewa Ram — entered into a criminal conspiracy. The accused induced the complainant, his father and a business partner into forming a partnership firm at Kali Krishna Tagore Street. After the family invested Rs 2,900,000, the accused misappropriated the firm's stock, liquidity and profits. Furthermore, the accused forged the signatures of the partners on official documents, causing a massive wrongful loss.Police investigations into the digital footprints, transaction histories and forgery syndicates across all three cases are actively under way.