The Cyber Crime Police has issued a strong warning to the public over a sharp rise in scams, particularly online investment and trading scams. The Hyderabad City Police took to X to create awareness among people. It said these scams are being spread through popular platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).

How the scam works?

Scammers are pretending to be financial agents or official representatives of companies. They lure people with promises of high returns through fake trading apps and websites. These apps show false profits to gain the victim's trust.

Once a person invests, the fraudsters ask for more money, saying it is for taxes or withdrawal fees. After receiving the money, they either disappear or threaten the victim with fake legal action.

Real-life examples

In one case, a person lost ₹6.32 lakh in the NFM Capital Markets scam.

In another case, victims lost ₹43 lakh through a fake app named Costa Well Grown.

Neither platforms were not registered or verified.

Police advisory

The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police is urging the public to:

Avoid clicking on unknown investment links or accepting offers from strangers.

Do not download or use unverified trading apps.

Never share personal or banking information with unknown persons.

Always verify if a trading platform is registered with SEBI. You can check at www.sebi.gov.in.

What to do if you're a victim

If you think you’ve been scammed:

Call the Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930

Or file a complaint online at www.cybercrime.gov.in

The Hyderabad Police is actively investigating such scams, and it has requested citizens to spread awareness and report any suspicious activity.