Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Jan 12: In a shocking case of cyber fraud, the wife of former CBI Joint Director and retired IPS officer VV Lakshmi Narayana was allegedly cheated of Rs 2.58 crore by online scammers posing as stock market investment experts.
The fraud reportedly took place between December 24, 2025 and January 5. The victim, Urmila, a resident of Banjara Hills, approached Hyderabad cybercrime police after realising that the investment platform she was using was a sophisticated scam.
According to police, the fraud involved a carefully planned strategy of social engineering and psychological manipulation. In November, Urmila received a WhatsApp message promising unusually high returns through stock market trading and was subsequently added to a group titled “Stock Market Profit Guide Exchange 20”.
A person identifying himself as Dinesh Singh projected himself as a financial guru and, knowing that Urmila had limited trading experience, convinced her that investments made through their platform could fetch returns of up to 500 per cent.
To gain her confidence, a female accomplice named Priyasakhi and other group members shared fake screenshots showing huge profits, creating a false sense of credibility and urgency.
Following their instructions, Urmila downloaded an application named “MCKIEY CM” from the Apple App Store. Over a period of 12 days, she transferred Rs 2.58 crore in 19 separate transactions. To arrange the funds, she reportedly mortgaged her gold jewellery as well as jewellery belonging to her husband.
The scam came to light when the app showed substantial profits but disabled the withdrawal option. When Urmila questioned the group, the scammers allegedly pressured her to invest more money to “unlock” the funds. Realising she had been cheated, she immediately lodged a complaint with the cybercrime police.
Police have registered a case and initiated a technical investigation. Preliminary findings indicate that the cheated amount was swiftly routed through multiple mule bank accounts across the country to evade detection. The fraudsters also used forged SEBI certificates to appear legitimate.
Authorities are now working to freeze the remaining funds and trace the perpetrators.
Following the high-profile case, police issued a strong advisory to the public, urging citizens to verify investment platforms and remember that SEBI-registered brokers do not operate through random WhatsApp groups or unknown apps. They warned that promises of “500 per cent returns” or “guaranteed profits” are clear red flags.
Victims of cyber fraud have been advised to call the national helpline number 1930 or report the incident within the “golden hour” to improve chances of freezing stolen funds.