Bathu Basti Resident Loses Over ₹8 Lakh in Online Trading Scam

A resident of Bathu Basti has reportedly lost over ₹8 lakh in an online trading scam involving fraudsters posing as representatives of the stock trading platform “Zerodha Security.” The case has been registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station, South Andaman.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the victim began receiving WhatsApp messages from unknown numbers in October 2024. These messages offered investment opportunities through a trading platform. Believing the offer to be genuine, the victim created an account and started investing.

Between October and November 2024, the victim transferred ₹4,66,148 through multiple transactions. When the victim requested to withdraw the profits, only ₹98,000 was returned. After this, the fraudsters demanded more money, calling it “service charges” and “taxes.” Trusting them again, the victim transferred another ₹3,60,005.

In total, the victim lost ₹8,26,153. When no further money was returned and withdrawals were blocked, the individual realized it was a scam. The matter was first reported to the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and later to the Cyber Crime Police Station.

Police have registered the case under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. An investigation is currently underway.

Authorities have once again urged the public to remain cautious of online investment offers and to verify the authenticity of platforms before transferring money.