Surat, Oct 12 (IANS) The Surat City Police Cyber Crime Branch has arrested a 46-year-old woman in Kerala in connection with an alleged Rs 13.10 lakh online investment fraud in which a complainant was lured with promises of returns exceeding five per cent through share trading.
The accused, identified as Saleena Thadiyan, allegedly opened a joint current account with Federal Bank in the name of a firm established with her son and allowed an absconding accused to use it for the illegal transfer of cyber fraud proceeds in exchange for a three per cent commission on transactions.
A scrutiny of the bank account through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal revealed 12 complaints from different states.
Four FIRs had been registered in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Telangana, while Rs 33.40 lakh in suspected cyber fraud proceeds had been credited to the account, according to the police.
“The account recorded transactions totalling Rs 39.70 lakh between January 9 and July 29, 2026,” the police said.
According to the complaint, the accused allegedly conspired to cheat the victim by promising returns of more than five per cent on share-trading investments.
They first added the complainant to a group on a messaging application and persuaded the person to trade through their purported company by making attractive claims about potential profits.
The accused then sent a link to a fake website and arranged for the complainant to register and create an account in their name. The website was allegedly used to give the impression that the complainant could earn higher profits through share trading.
The police said the accused also circulated forged documents purportedly issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), including a document on a letterhead dated July 27, 2026, and sent details of different bank accounts through messages in the group.
The complainant was allegedly induced to transfer Rs 13.10 lakh to the accounts provided. When the complainant subsequently requested a withdrawal, the money was not released, leading to the registration of a cybercrime case.
The case was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station under Sections 318(4), 336(2), 338, 336(3), 340(2), 61(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, as amended in 2008.
Acting on the directions of senior officials, a team led by Police Inspector Y. S. Sisodiya carried out a technical investigation and traced Saleena to Kerala.
The police have advised people to exercise caution when approached with online share-market investment schemes promising unusually high returns and to verify the credentials of individuals and firms before transferring money.
Victims of financial cyber fraud should immediately call the national cybercrime helpline, 1930, as prompt reporting can improve the chances of freezing funds in bank accounts.
–IANS
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