Bengaluru Doctor Loses Rs 1.9 Crore to WhatsApp Trading Scam Amid Surge in Cyberfrauds Targeting Doctors

A 65-year-old Bengaluru doctor’s hopes for quick wealth shattered as cybercriminals siphoned off Rs 1.9 crore in a cunning WhatsApp trading scam. This heartbreaking case is part of a broader surge in cybercrimes targeting doctors, with similar frauds hitting professionals in Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, costing them crores.

Dr. Richard (name changed), a dedicated physician from Banasawadi, Bengaluru, fell prey to fraudsters posing as stock market experts from ‘Upstox Share Marketing Company.’ Contacted via WhatsApp in April 2025 from number 9648745586, he was lured by a woman named Divyangana Thorat promising daily profits. “I wasn’t familiar with trading, but their guidance seemed genuine,” Dr. Richard shared. Added to a WhatsApp group with hundreds of members, he saw fake screenshots of profits, boosting his confidence. Guided by admins using numbers like 8290620730 and a dubious link, support@upstox.icu, he opened an account and invested through a fraudulent app.

Small initial gains hooked him, leading to Rs 1.3 crore transferred across 12 transactions. When he tried withdrawing, the scammers demanded Rs 32 lakh as a commission, followed by Rs 26.5 lakh for “income tax,” and Rs 25 lakh to “unfreeze” his account, falsely claimed to be blocked by SEBI. After paying, they demanded another Rs 10 lakh, threatening legal action. Devastated, Dr. Richard filed a complaint with Bengaluru’s East CEN Crime police on May 24, 2025. Police registered a case under the Information Technology Act and BNS section 318 (cheating), actively freezing the fraudsters’ accounts. “We’re raising awareness, but greed for quick money blinds many,” a senior officer noted.

Gandhinagar Doctor Loses Rs 19 Crore in Digital Arrest Scam

In Gandhinagar, a senior doctor endured a chilling “digital arrest” scam, losing Rs 19 crore over three months starting March 15, 2025. Fraudsters, posing as a sub-inspector and public prosecutor, threatened her with money laundering charges and phone disconnection. Under relentless psychological pressure, she transferred Rs 19 crore to 35 accounts, including funds from a loan against her gold jewelry. She even shared her whereabouts via video calls. The scam stopped abruptly, and she filed a complaint on July 16. Gujarat’s CID Crime cyber cell arrested a suspect in Surat, recovering Rs 1 crore, and is working to dismantle the network.

Hyderabad and Mumbai Doctors Hit by Trading Frauds

In Hyderabad, another doctor lost Rs 1.91 crore to a WhatsApp trading scam, misled by promises of high returns through a fake app. Similarly, a Mumbai doctor was duped of Rs. 25 lakh in an online trading fraud, where scammers used fake portals to display fictitious profits, according to the same source. These cases mirror the Bengaluru fraud, showing a pattern of targeting doctors with promises of quick wealth.

(Rh/Eth/VK/MSM)