Mumbai: In a startling instance of cyber theft, a 63-year-old retired lady bank employee was reportedly defrauded of ₹1.37 crore by anonymous hackers in the Kanjurmarg region under the guise of investing in many share market plans offered by a fraudulent organization.

Based on her complaint, the Cyber Cell of the Eastern Regional Division has opened an investigation and filed a case against 14 individuals, including the group administrator of the bogus firm, for deceiving and violating pertinent parts of the Information Technology Act.

Police claim that the complainant is a retired employee of a reputable private bank and a resident of Kanjurmarg. Their son is presently employed and living overseas, and her spouse has a private company. On November 10, 2025, she saw an advertising about share trading and initial public offerings (IPOs) while watching YouTube at home. She was then joined to a company-related WhatsApp group with around 121 members.

A few days later, the group administrator gave her three investment alternatives and started giving her recommendations. She was informed that voting for businesses would result in weekly fees of ₹5,000 to ₹10,000, that investing in mutual funds or via a call-based application would generate a return of 10%, and that investing in share trading connected to initial public offerings (IPOs) would produce substantial profits. She was told that she would make a lot of money if she chose any of the selections.

The woman’s belief in the program was bolstered when she first deposited ₹80,000 via the firm by choosing the call option and earned ₹88,000 in returns. She went on to deposit ₹1.37 crore in four separate plans since she trusted the organization. Her account balance, including returns, had increased to almost ₹3.5 crore, according to the app.

But the transaction failed when she tried to take out some of the money. After promising her 100% profits, the group administrator then requested an additional ₹1.5 crore payment. She was informed that her invested amount would not be released when she declined because she lacked the necessary cash, and she was then barred from the organization.

The lady went to the Eastern Regional Cyber Cell and filed a complaint against unidentified individuals after realizing she had been duped. According to the police, she had communication with 14 people in total throughout the scam, including the group administrator. All of them are the subject of a case filed under the IT Act’s provisions regarding cheating.

Investigators are collecting information on the account holders and tracking down the bank accounts to which the fraudulent funds were moved. Additional research is being conducted.