SHOCKING! Kerala retired judge loses Rs 90 lakh in WhatsApp group scam | Check details

Sashidharan Nambiar, a 73-year-old retired Kerala High Court judge, joined a WhatsApp group named “Aditya Birla Equity Learning” in December 2024. He believed it was a group for those interested in stock market trading and assumed it was associated with Aditya Birla Finance Ltd.

Lured by promises of 850% returns, he invested over Rs 90 lakh by December 30. When the money wasn't returned, he realized the scam and filed a complaint with the Thiruvananthapuram police on January 5.

According to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Indians lost over Rs 120 crore in investment scams in the first quarter of 2024. Over 1 lakh investment fraud cases were registered in 2023, with over 81,000 fake investment groups operating on WhatsApp.

Scammers build trust and lure investors into fake schemes, promising high returns to defraud them.

To protect yourself, be cautious. Don't send money to online acquaintances. Invest only through SEBI registered entities. Verify schemes on official websites before investing.

Leave suspicious WhatsApp/Telegram groups and report them. File complaints at https://sancharsaathi.gov.in/. If scammed, contact your bank and report to https://cybercrime.gov.in/ or 1930.