IT professional duped of Rs 35.7 lakh in online trading scam

PTI, November 08, 2025, Mumbai :  A 40-year-old IT professional was cheated of Rs 35.7 lakh in an online stock trading scam, the cyber police said on Saturday.

As per the complainant, a childhood friend introduced him to an online trading app and a trading group, promising lucrative returns through stock trading.

Through the group he came in contact with a woman named Devanshi Parekh who gave him trading tips and persuaded him to transfer money to various bank accounts for buying stocks, he said.

The app he had downloaded showed that he had made large profits. When he tried to withdraw his earnings earlier this week, he was told the funds would be credited within a few days, but the money never arrived, the complaint said.

When he contacted Parekh, she claimed his trading account had been frozen and demanded another Rs 5 lakh to reactivate it. The complainant then realised that he had been duped, and approached the East Region Cyber Police.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Devanshi Parekh, Vinit Maheshwari, the creators of the app along with the holders of the bank accounts used in the fraud. Further investigation is underway, the official added.ugh the group he came in contact with a woman named Devanshi Parekh who gave him trading tips and persuaded him to transfer money to various bank accounts for buying stocks, he said.

The app he had downloaded showed that he had made large profits. When he tried to withdraw his earnings earlier this week, he was told the funds would be credited within a few days, but the money never arrived, the complaint said.

When he contacted Parekh, she claimed his trading account had been frozen and demanded another Rs 5 lakh to reactivate it. The complainant then realised that he had been duped, and approached the East Region Cyber Police.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Devanshi Parekh, Vinit Maheshwari, the creators of the app along with the holders of the bank accounts used in the fraud. Further investigation is underway, the official added.