The complainant was as approached by a doctor friend.
The friend suggested he invest in the stock market through a private company.
The complainant then received a call from a woman claiming to be a financial advisor from the company.
Scams are increasing, and unfortunately, more and more people are falling victim to them. One type of fraud that’s on the rise is investment scams, where people are promised high returns and end up losing their hard-earned money. In a recent case, a 51-year-old Mumbai-based actor, who has worked in films and television shows, was cheated of nearly Rs 9 lakh by fraudsters pretending to be financial advisors. Here’s how the scam unfolded and how you can avoid falling for such frauds.
The actor, who lives with his family in Goregaon, was approached in February 2025 by a doctor friend from Jharkhand, reports TOI. The friend suggested he invest in the stock market through a private company that claimed to offer good returns. The actor allowed the friend to share his contact details with the company.
On February 6, he received a call from a woman claiming to be a financial advisor from the company. She sent him a link via email to create an online account. He made an initial investment of Rs 2,000 by scanning a QR code sent to him on WhatsApp. The amount reflected in his online account, which made it look genuine.
The advisor and others from the company continued to contact him, convincing him to invest more money. Between February and March, the actor invested a total of Rs 9.08 lakh. On March 14, he was even able to withdraw Rs 35,000 from the account, which boosted his trust in the platform.
By March 28, the online account showed profits of Rs 84 lakh. But the next night, the account balance suddenly turned negative, showing a loss of Rs 14,000. Shocked and confused, the actor tried to reach out to the company representatives, but none of them responded. Realising he had been scammed, he filed a complaint.
Also read: Pune man loses Rs 65,000 in credit card reward points scam: Here’s what happened
How to avoid falling for such scams
- Never trust investment offers that promise high returns in a short time.
- Always verify the company’s background and check if it’s registered with financial authorities.
- Don’t transfer money by scanning unknown QR codes or through unknown links.
- Be cautious when strangers or even friends introduce you to investment platforms.
- Report suspicious activity immediately to cybercrime portals or the police.
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Ayushi Jain
Tech news writer by day, BGMI player by night. Combining my passion for tech and gaming to bring you the latest in both worlds. View Full Profile
