Kolkata: A Kolkata resident reported losing Rs 52.5 lakh in an alleged cyber fraud in which scammers, posing as representatives of a well-known securities and investment group, persuaded him to transfer money over multiple transactions through WhatsApp. In another incident, an investor was allegedly duped of Rs 72 lakh after promises of major returns by a company run from Park Street. Investigation into both these cases has been taken over by the detective department.
In the first case, Sancha Bhattacharjee alleged that he was contacted by a group that claimed to be linked to a securities firm and lured him with promises of high returns through stock market trading. The approach was made on WhatsApp.
According to the complaint, the transfers were made in several instalments between Nov 27 and Dec 24 last year. The complainant did not receive any returns or the promised outcome and later realised that he was defrauded. Bhattacharjee named a person who contacted him as ‘Smita Agarwal', the "investment assistant" associated with the securities group.
In the second incident, a Kolkata-based chartered accountant moved a city court and then got an order that led Shakespeare Sarani Police to register an FIR and investigate an alleged cheating and criminal breach of trust involving Rs 72 lakh. The petitioner said that while living in Bengaluru in Sept 2020, he was approached for funds to support a proposed onion-trading start-up to be operated from Kolkata from April 2021.
The accused provided property papers and claimed access to overseas bank funds to build confidence, after which the petitioner raised money, including bank loans, and transferred amounts to a bank account in April 2021. Monthly EMI payments were initially arranged but became irregular from Feb 2022, when the accused stopped visiting Kolkata and remained largely in Bengaluru. The petitioner cited unanswered calls and emails, a demand notice dated Febr 26, 2024, and a separate pending case in Nashik to allege habitual offending. The petition said complaints to police in July and August 2025 drew no action.