{"id":26483,"date":"2025-12-16T11:00:46","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T11:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/16\/how-clicking-on-a-whatsapp-link-cost-a-bengaluru-businessman-rs-8-crore-in-stock-market-scam-business-news\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T11:00:46","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T11:00:46","slug":"how-clicking-on-a-whatsapp-link-cost-a-bengaluru-businessman-rs-8-crore-in-stock-market-scam-business-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/16\/how-clicking-on-a-whatsapp-link-cost-a-bengaluru-businessman-rs-8-crore-in-stock-market-scam-business-news\/","title":{"rendered":"How Clicking On A WhatsApp Link Cost A Bengaluru Businessman Rs 8 Crore In Stock Market Scam | Business News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"story-9773303\">\n<p><span class=\"jsx-395e0e0beb19cb6e jsx-3759419209\">Last Updated:<\/span><time class=\"jsx-395e0e0beb19cb6e jsx-3759419209\">December 16, 2025, 15:02 IST<\/time><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"asubttl-9773303\" class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-1682564183 asubttl-schema\">According to the Cyber Crime Police Station in the South Division, Naidu received a phone call on September 15 from unknown persons claiming to represent an investment firm<\/h2>\n<div class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-1682564183\">\n<figure class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-1682564183 amimg\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Police officials said they have managed to freeze around Rs 60\u201364 lakh in bank accounts linked to the fraudsters. (Image: Getty)\" title=\"Police officials said they have managed to freeze around Rs 60\u201364 lakh in bank accounts linked to the fraudsters. (Image: Getty)\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/ibnlive\/uploads\/2021\/07\/1627283897_news18_logo-1200x800.jpg?impolicy=website&amp;width=400&amp;height=225\" loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\" class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-1682564183\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Police officials said they have managed to freeze around Rs 60\u201364 lakh in bank accounts linked to the fraudsters. (Image: Getty)<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"0\" class=\"story_para_0\">A Bengaluru-based businessman has been cheated of over Rs 8 crore by cyber fraudsters who lured him into investing through a fake stock market mobile application, police officials said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"1\" class=\"story_para_1\">The victim, Rajendra Naidu (71), a resident of Banashankari, was duped after being promised high returns based on his good CIBIL score. The fraud came to light when he attempted to withdraw the money shown as profits on the app and was asked to pay additional charges.<\/p>\n<p id=\"2\" class=\"story_para_2\">According to the complaint filed with the Cyber Crime Police Station in the South Division, Naidu received a phone call on September 15 from unknown persons claiming to represent an investment firm. The callers told him that his credit history was strong and that he could earn substantial profits by investing in the stock market.<\/p>\n<p id=\"3\" class=\"story_para_3\">After Naidu expressed interest, the fraudsters sent him a WhatsApp link and asked him to install a mobile application named RARCLLPRO. Trusting the process, he initially transferred Rs 25 lakh through RTGS to bank accounts provided by the callers.<\/p>\n<p id=\"4\" class=\"story_para_4\"><strong>What Was The Stock Market Fraud?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"5\" class=\"story_para_5\">Encouraged by what appeared to be successful returns on the app, Naidu went on to invest money in phases, eventually transferring around Rs 8.3 crore. The app falsely displayed that his investment had grown to Rs 59.4 crore, showing large dividends credited to his account.<\/p>\n<p id=\"6\" class=\"story_para_6\">Believing the profits were real, Naidu attempted to withdraw Rs 15 crore.<\/p>\n<p id=\"7\" class=\"story_para_7\"><strong>Withdrawal Attempt Exposes the Scam<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"8\" class=\"story_para_8\">When the withdrawal failed, Naidu contacted the fraudsters for clarification. He was then asked to pay an additional Rs 2.70 crore as an 18 per cent \u201cservice charge&#8221; to process the withdrawal. This demand raised suspicion, and Naidu realised he had been cheated.<\/p>\n<p id=\"9\" class=\"story_para_9\">He immediately contacted the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) and later filed a formal complaint at the Cyber Crime Police Station on November 29.<\/p>\n<p id=\"10\" class=\"story_para_10\">Police officials said they have managed to freeze around Rs 60\u201364 lakh in bank accounts linked to the fraudsters. An investigation is currently underway to identify and trace the accused and uncover the wider network involved in the scam.<\/p>\n<p id=\"11\" class=\"story_para_11\">Naidu, who runs charitable services, reportedly intended to use the profits from the investment for charity. He is also known to be a devotee of Lord Ram and had earlier donated silver puja materials to the Ram temple in Ayodhya.<\/p>\n<p id=\"12\" class=\"story_para_12\">Police have urged citizens to remain cautious of unsolicited investment offers, especially those promising unusually high returns, and to verify the authenticity of apps and platforms before transferring money.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-ff4fe2ed9527ebb3 midgprfd\">\n<div class=\"jsx-ff4fe2ed9527ebb3 midgprfdbtn\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/dlxczavtqcctuei\/news18\/static\/images\/english\/google-color.svg\" width=\"36\" height=\"36\" alt=\"\" class=\"jsx-ff4fe2ed9527ebb3\"\/><span class=\"jsx-ff4fe2ed9527ebb3\">Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. <\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-ff4fe2ed9527ebb3 midprfdcopy\"><a href=\"https:\/\/news18.co\/n18egpab\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Follow News18 on Google<\/a>. Join the fun, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/games\/\">play games on News18<\/a>.\u00a0Stay updated with all the latest business news, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/business\/markets\/\">market trends<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/topics\/stocks-to-watch\/\">stock updates<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/business\/tax\/\">tax<\/a>, IPO,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/business\/banking-finance\/\">banking finance<\/a>, real estate, savings and investments. To Get in-depth analysis, expert opinions, and real-time updates. Also <span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">Download the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/eng-article-eop\">News18 App<\/a> to stay updated.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-1682564183 atbtlink fp\"><span>First Published:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"rs\">\n<p>December 16, 2025, 15:02 IST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-1682564183 brdcrmb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/\">News<\/a>  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/business\/\">business<\/a>  <span class=\"brdout\"> How Clicking On A WhatsApp Link Cost A Bengaluru Businessman Rs 8 Crore In Stock Market Scam<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"coral-wrap\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f \">\n<div class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f coral-cont\">\n<div class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f coltoptxt\">Disclaimer: Comments reflect users\u2019 views, not News18\u2019s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/disclaimer\/\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f\">Terms of Use<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/privacy_policy\/\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"jsx-2248194255 qrsect\">\n<div style=\"display:none\" class=\"jsx-2248194255 paywall\">\n<p>According to the complaint filed with the Cyber Crime Police Station in the South Division, Naidu received a phone call on September 15 from unknown persons claiming to represent an investment firm. The callers told him that his credit history was strong and that he could earn substantial profits by investing in the stock market.<\/p>\n<p>After Naidu expressed interest, the fraudsters sent him a WhatsApp link and asked him to install a mobile application named RARCLLPRO. Trusting the process, he initially transferred Rs 25 lakh through RTGS to bank accounts provided by the callers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What Was The Stock Market Fraud?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Encouraged by what appeared to be successful returns on the app, Naidu went on to invest money in phases, eventually transferring around Rs 8.3 crore. The app falsely displayed that his investment had grown to Rs 59.4 crore, showing large dividends credited to his account.<\/p>\n<p>Believing the profits were real, Naidu attempted to withdraw Rs 15 crore.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Withdrawal Attempt Exposes the Scam<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When the withdrawal failed, Naidu contacted the fraudsters for clarification. He was then asked to pay an additional Rs 2.70 crore as an 18 per cent \u201cservice charge\u201d to process the withdrawal. This demand raised suspicion, and Naidu realised he had been cheated.<\/p>\n<p>He immediately contacted the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) and later filed a formal complaint at the Cyber Crime Police Station on November 29.<\/p>\n<p>Police officials said they have managed to freeze around Rs 60\u201364 lakh in bank accounts linked to the fraudsters. An investigation is currently underway to identify and trace the accused and uncover the wider network involved in the scam.<\/p>\n<p>Naidu, who runs charitable services, reportedly intended to use the profits from the investment for charity. He is also known to be a devotee of Lord Ram and had earlier donated silver puja materials to the Ram temple in Ayodhya.<\/p>\n<p>Police have urged citizens to remain cautious of unsolicited investment offers, especially those promising unusually high returns, and to verify the authenticity of apps and platforms before transferring money.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-2248194255 qrcnt\">\n<div class=\"jsx-2248194255 qrimg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/dlxczavtqcctuei\/news18\/static\/images\/english\/goldenicon.svg\" alt=\"img\" class=\"jsx-2248194255 prziccne\"\/><\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-2248194255 dskcont\">\n<div class=\"jsx-2248194255 deskcol\">\n<div class=\"jsx-2248194255\">\n<p>Stay Ahead, Read Faster<\/p>\n<p class=\"jsx-2248194255 qrtxt\">Scan the QR code to download the News18 app and enjoy a seamless news experience anytime, anywhere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-2248194255 qrcodeimg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/dlxczavtqcctuei\/news18\/static\/images\/english\/appfirst-desktop.png\" alt=\"QR Code\" width=\"150\" class=\"jsx-2248194255\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/login\/\" class=\"jsx-2248194255 login\">login<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/business\/how-clicking-on-a-whatsapp-link-cost-a-bengaluru-businessman-rs-8-crore-in-stock-market-scam-tyd-ws-l-9773303.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last Updated:December 16, 2025, 15:02 IST According to the Cyber Crime Police Station in the South Division, Naidu received a phone call on September 15 from unknown persons claiming to represent an investment firm Police officials said they have managed to freeze around Rs 60\u201364 lakh in bank accounts linked to the fraudsters. (Image: Getty)&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26484,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26483\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}