Mumbai: A 56-year-old pilot working for a prominent airline, who wanted to make some extra money by investing in shares, was duped of Rs 3.16 crore in a meticulously planned online scam involving a fake stock market investment app posing as “SMC Global Securities.” The complainant, a resident of Andheri East who registered an FIR last week, told the East region Cyber police that the fraud began in May 2025 while he was watching stock market-related videos on YouTube. He subscribed to a channel associated with S. Bhasin and subsequently received WhatsApp messages from a woman identifying herself as Anuprita Daga, claiming to be an associate of Ajay Garg from the reputed securities firm.The complainant was added to a WhatsApp group named “VIP8 – SMC Global Securities,” which had 80 members and appeared to provide genuine stock market tips. Convinced by the authenticity, he was directed to download a fake app via links mimicking a reputed securities platform. The app reflected increasing profits, further building trust.Following instructions from Anuprita and others, he transferred Rs 3.16 crore in several instalments to bank accounts provided via WhatsApp. The group claimed his investments grew to over Rs 15.84 crore on his account and over Rs 6.73 crore on his wife’s app account. However, when he attempted to withdraw the funds on July 11, he was told he needed to pay a 10% advance fee to process the withdrawal.It was at this point that the pilot realised he was scammed and filed an online complaint. The FIR names Anuprita Daga, Ajay Garg, and several WhatsApp numbers and helpdesk contacts used in the scam, holding them responsible for criminal conspiracy, cheating, and breach of trust.Police have initiated a probe into the large-scale fraud, suspected to involve fake identity holders, money mules, and app developers. Authorities are also working to trace the digital infrastructure used to create and circulate the counterfeit SMC app.
