Surat: A Surat Municipal Corporation employee lost Rs 27 lakh after cyberfraudsters on WhatsApp groups allegedly persuaded him to invest in shares and IPOs through certain applications that displayed fake profits and promised high returns but did not allow him to make withdrawals.According to the FIR registered with Cybercrime police station, the fraud took place between April 22 and June 8, 2025.Jitendra Patel (55), an assistant insecticide officer with the Surat Municipal Corporation, was added to WhatsApp groups named “E9 Book Discussion VIP Exchange Group”, “VIP59 Investment Alliance Study Group” and “B3 VIP Investment Alliance Study Group”.Patel told police that members of the groups posed as investment experts and convinced him to invest in shares and IPOs through various applications. The platforms initially showed purported profits, prompting him to transfer larger amounts.The accused directed him to deposit money into multiple bank accounts. The FIR mentions transactions routed through accounts in Bandhan Bank, HDFC Bank, IDFC First Bank and YES Bank.When he sought to withdraw his funds and profits, the accused demanded additional payments on various pretexts.He then realised that the investment platforms and WhatsApp groups were being used to deceive investors. Patel contacted the 1930 cyber helpline and lodged a complaint.
