Cyberabad cyber police arrested 13 across states in eight cases; three held in ₹ 61.39 lakh fake business scam
The Cyber Crime Branch of the Cyberabad Police has arrested 13 persons from multiple states in connection with eight cyber crime cases detected between June 25 and July 12, including fake online trading and an IPO investment scam in which a woman was defrauded of ₹61.39 crore.
Those arrested in the investment scam case include Tilak Seiwal, Kapil Ahir and Sumit Ahir – all from Madhya Pradesh. Police found that the trio knowingly created and provided bank accounts to cyber fraudsters to receive and route the defrauded money in exchange for a commission.
According to investigators, the scammers lured the victim through a sponsored ad on Instagram offering lucrative investment opportunities in the stock market. She was then added to WhatsApp groups falsely claiming to represent Ventura Securities, where fake analysts and mentors convinced her to invest through a fake trading app called VenSec Pro.
Police said the app showed fictitious trading activity and virtual profits exceeding ₹1.14 million to convince the victim that his investments were generating substantial returns. To gain her trust, the fraudsters initially allowed her to withdraw ₹4,500 before convincing her to repeatedly invest in purported OTC deals, higher-end stocks, block deals and IPOs.
When the victim later tried to withdraw their investments, the fraudsters demanded additional payments for commissions, taxes and processing fees. After receiving the money, they blocked her trading account and disappeared, leaving her with losses of ₹ 61.39 lakh.
Cyberabad Police said that of the eight cases detected during the period, four related to online trading fraud, while one case related to visa fraud, cryptocurrency fraud, child sexual abuse material and employment fraud. Of the 13 accused arrested, eight were linked to business fraud cases, two to a visa fraud case, and one each to cryptocurrency fraud, child sexual abuse material and employment fraud.
Police also obtained court orders to refund ₹76.09 crore to victims in 36 cybercrime cases.
Police advised the public to check whether investment platforms are registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) before investing, avoid downloading trading apps through links shared on social media or messaging platforms, and be wary of WhatsApp or Telegram groups promising guaranteed returns or insider trading tips. They also warned that real investment firms do not charge upfront commissions, taxes or processing fees for releasing profits.
Victims of cyber fraud have been urged to report incidents immediately through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or by calling the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930.
Published – 14 Jul 2026 20:22 IST