UAE-Based ADNOC Senior Chemist Duped Of ₹1.24 Crore In Online Stock Trading Scam; Fake Platform Shows ₹6.19 Crore Profit

A senior chemist from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in the UAE has been duped of ₹1.24 crore in a stock trading scam, according to authorities. The victim, who works in Sharjah, received a WhatsApp message from a woman claiming to be Ananya Sharma, who offered stock market investment advice and invited him to join a WhatsApp group called F104 Antara Growth.

The group allegedly had over 96 members, including those posing as fund managers and investment advisers. The woman told the victim that the Antara India Evergreen Fund, which she claimed to represent, was a SEBI-registered broker offering investment opportunities in IPOs and shares. After registering on the fake website, stock.antaraevergreenfund.com/batch-trade, the victim saw stock market graphs fluctuating, which convinced him the platform was legitimate.

He then received instructions to transfer ₹1,24,90,000 to multiple bank accounts through RTGS and IMPS. The fraudsters displayed fictitious profits of over ₹6.19 crore to entice the victim, but when he attempted to withdraw his money, the withdrawal was not processed. The accused demanded a 5% fee for releasing the funds, which the victim refused to pay.

The victim reported the incident to the cybercrime helpline, leading to the registration of a case by the North Cyber Police.