Hyderabad: Cybercrime police have issued a public advisory after a retired bank employee from Malakpet lost ₹51,23,000 in a sophisticated fake pre-IPO investment scam run through Facebook and WhatsApp.
The 60-year-old victim said he saw a Facebook advertisement in early November 2025 that appeared to be from IIFL Capital. After clicking the link, he received WhatsApp messages from an individual identifying himself as Goshan Yadav, who promised lucrative IPO allotments. Soon after, the victim was added to a WhatsApp group named “IIFL CS Pre-IPO 067.”
Within the group, members shared fake screenshots of high returns to attract potential investors. Encouraged by this, the victim initially invested ₹8,000. Over the next few weeks, he transferred a total of ₹51,23,000 by November 25.
The fraudsters then displayed fake allotments of Groww and Tennind shares on a fake website, showing inflated returns of over ₹1.3 crore. However, when the victim tried to withdraw the funds, the scammers demanded another ₹51,23,000 as a release fee. At that point, he realized it was a scam and reported it to the police.
As a result, cybercrime officials have urged the public to stay vigilant. They emphasized that trusted financial institutions never operate through personal WhatsApp numbers or unofficial groups.
To stay safe, police advised the following:
- Do not click on random investment links or download unknown apps.
- Always verify investment offers via official company websites or customer care.
- Report cyber frauds immediately by calling 1930 or visiting www.cybercrime.gov.in.
- For urgent help, call or WhatsApp 8712665171.
Moreover, citizens are encouraged to stay informed by following these official cybercrime awareness channels: