Indore: Law Student Duped Of ₹10L In Online Scam; 1 Held

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A young law student’s dream of multiplying his money turned into a nightmare when he fell victim to an elaborate online investment scam—losing over ₹10 lakh in the lure of an “800% profit” promise. The city’s crime branch has arrested one man in connection with the racket, while the mastermind and others remain on the run.

It all began on December 16, when 22-year-old Prashant Rathore was added to a WhatsApp group named SAMCO SECURITIES LIMITED, which projected itself as a legitimate share trading forum. Messages promising daily profits of 15–20% caught his eye, and soon, the stakes were raised.

He was then moved to another group—VFIP-706-prasantrathore—where the admin, going by the name Shambhavi, introduced him to a flashy app promising astronomical returns. Tempted by the promise of 800% profit, Prashant downloaded the app and, following Shambhavi’s instructions, made an initial transfer of ₹38,000.

The app appeared to show his money growing rapidly. Encouraged by the “virtual” success, Prashant made several more transfers to different bank accounts shown on the app, totalling ₹10.36 lakh. The screen showed a jaw-dropping ₹48.75 lakh return.

But when he tried to withdraw the amount on January 28, the app stalled. Shambhavi, now unreachable by voice, chatted with him, demanding ₹7.67 lakh more—claiming it was needed to cover 5% charges and 15% capital gains tax.

That’s when the illusion broke. Sensing foul play, Prashant approached the crime branch.

The investigation led to the arrest of Ayush Kala alias Chhotu Jain, a resident of Gandhi Nagar. According to DCP (Crime) Rajesh Kumar Tripathi, Ayush admitted he had provided his bank account to the fraudsters in return for a ₹15,000 cut. His account had received ₹2.07 lakh from Prashant’s transactions.

The rest of the gang—especially the mysterious Shambhavi and the group creators—are still absconding. Police are tracking digital footprints and financial trails to trace them.

Prashant’s case serves as a chilling reminder of how digital scams prey on ambition, trust, and financial dreams. The investigation is ongoing.

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