Navi Mumbai: A chartered accountant (CA) from Nerul has been duped of Rs 2.03 crore by an unidentified cyber fraud gang that lured him with promises of high returns through online share market trading. Navi Mumbai Cyber Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the IPC and the IT Act and launched a probe to trace the culprits.

The incident came to light after the CA, a resident of Nerul, filed a complaint stating that the fraud took place over the past month. The accused contacted him via WhatsApp in April, inviting him to join a group named Angel Forum, where they shared lucrative stock trading tips.

According to the complaint, the gang convinced the CA to invest through a suspicious website called gunstons.com. They created a fake account in his name and showed him false profits and trading activity. Believing the setup to be genuine, the CA transferred Rs 2.03 crore to various bank accounts over the span of a month.

The website later showed that the CA had made over Rs 3 crore in profit. However, when he attempted to withdraw funds, the fraudsters told him that he would first need to pay a large tax amount. When the victim could not access his funds, he realized he had been deceived.

"We are investigating the case and analyzing digital evidence including the website, WhatsApp messages, and banking transactions linked to the scam. We urge the citizens to not fall for any lucrative offers in the name of trading and investment," senior police inspector Gajanan Kadam from Cyber police station said.