42-year-old woman loses ₹2.04 crore in Facebook–WhatsApp trading scam in Bengaluru

Bengaluru

A 42-year-old woman from the city has been allegedly cheated of ₹2.04 crore by unidentified cyber fraudsters who trapped her through Facebook and WhatsApp by offering lucrative returns from online stock trading. Central CEN police have registered a case and initiated a detailed cybercrime investigation.

According to the complaint, the woman came across a Facebook post promoting trading and investment opportunities. After liking the post and sharing her mobile number, she was contacted on December 8, 2025, by a woman identifying herself as Nisha Mishra. The accused added the complainant to a WhatsApp group that claimed to provide expert trading advice and promised 10–20 per cent profits on investments.

When the victim sought more information on December 16, she was sent multiple website links and was asked to complete online registration by submitting personal details. The accused allegedly convinced her that investing larger sums would yield higher and quicker returns.

Between December 23, 2025, and January 8, 2026, the woman transferred money in multiple instalments from her bank accounts to various accounts shared by the accused. The funds were routed to accounts held in Axis Bank, Bandhan Bank, Indian Bank, and other banks, using both bank transfers and UPI transactions.

Police documents reveal that the transactions ranged from ₹9,000 to ₹39.5 lakh per transfer, cumulatively amounting to ₹2,04,69,000. After receiving the money, the accused allegedly stopped responding to calls and messages, and no returns were credited, prompting the victim to approach the police.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of cheating and cybercrime laws. Police are tracking the bank accounts, phone numbers, WhatsApp groups, and websites involved, and suspect the involvement of an organised cyber fraud network operating via social media platforms.