Two nabbed from MP for Rs 2.87-cr online investment fraud

The cybercrime police have arrested two accused in connection with Rs 2.87-crore online investment fraud. They have been identified as Raj Kumar Pandey (37) and Dipesh Makuwaana (27), both natives of Madhya Pradesh.

According to the police, the arrests followed a complaint lodged by Hajeeeran Kaur, a local resident. She was duped of nearly Rs 2.87 crore through a fake investment platform operating under the names TotalSecurities.net and INX Account. The fraudsters reportedly posed as financial experts, misusing the names of regulatory authorities such as Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to lure investors into making large deposits under the guise of UCI and IPO schemes.

The case was registered on January 18 under the BNS. The investigation, led by Geetanjali Khandelwal, SP (Cyber), under the supervision of DSP A Venkatesh and Inspector Eram Rizvi, revealed that the accused were operating from Indore, using multiple bank accounts across cities to collect the money deposited by their victims.

During a raid conducted at Naagziri, Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) in October, the police arrested both accused and recovered two mobile phones. One of the seized devices, a Samsung Galaxy belonging to Pandey, was found linked to a Bandhan Bank account used in the fraudulent transactions. Initial financial analysis showed money trail movements amounting to around Rs 20 lakh through this account.

The Chandigarh Police stated that the accused maintained several WhatsApp groups and impersonated financial professionals to target their victims.

Police Advisory for Citizens

Avoid unknown investment offers received via WhatsApp or Telegram — such messages are often fraudulent.

Verify company credentials before investing or joining online trading platforms.

Never share personal or banking information, including Aadhaar, PAN or account details, with unknown entities.

Report suspicious activity immediately by calling the national helpline 1930 or visiting cybercrime.gov.in.

Early reporting and vigilance are key to preventing such scams and bringing cyber offenders to justice.