43-year-old private sector employee loses ₹72.55 lakh in fake Zerodha WhatsApp investment scam

Summary

A 43-year-old private sector employee in Hyderabad lost ₹72.55 lakh in a fake Zerodha investment scam between April 30 and May 26. Scammers Hanan Delvi and Ishita Paul contacted the victim via WhatsApp, impersonating Zerodha employees and convincing him to download a fraudulent trading app. The fraudsters sent ₹1.73 lakh as fake profits to build trust before demanding the large transfer. When the victim attempted to withdraw funds, he was told he needed to pay ₹43.93 lakh in taxes, which prompted him to investigate further. After verifying at the Zerodha office in Begumpet, he realized the scam and reported it to the Cyberabad Cybercrime Police. A case has been registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.