A 45-year-old employee of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Sachin Kulkarni, has allegedly fallen victim to a cyber fraud amounting to ₹6.87 lakh. The scam involved a fraudster using a United Kingdom (UK) phone number and luring the victim into investing in shares and IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) through a fake platform.
According to the FIR, Kulkarni, a resident of BPCL Colony on R.C. Marg, Chembur, lodged a complaint with the police detailing how he was contacted on May 20 by a man named Saad, calling from a number with a UK country code. Saad claimed to represent a company named AFMHNW, allegedly located in Normandy Building on M.L. Dahanukar Road, Khambala Hill, Mumbai.
Saad convinced Kulkarni to invest in various companies' IPOs and shares, assuring high returns. To appear legitimate, he shared a mobile app link (AFMHNW) and a website, instructing Kulkarni to register and review company details
Trusting the scheme, Kulkarni made an initial investment of $5,000 (approximately ₹4.17 lakh) using his HDFC Bank credit card on May 24, some of which he was allowed to withdraw, which encouraged him to invest an additional $3,000 (around ₹2.5 lakh) on June 2.
However, when more funds were demanded, Kulkarni grew suspicious. He attempted to withdraw his money from the so-called trading platform but was unable to retrieve the invested amount, confirming the scam, he had lost a total of ₹6.87 lakh.
Kulkarni immediately contacted the national cybercrime helpline (1930) and later lodged a formal complaint with the RCF Police. Based on his complaint, a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.
