''How Fraudsters Trap You'': Mumbai Police Warns Public About Stock Market Investment Scams

Mumbai Police's social media handles are well known for using innovative ways to deliver public service messages. This time, Mumbai police alerted the public about how fraudsters pull off stock market investment scams and shared important tips for citizens to stay safe. 

The first visual in the carousel mentions six steps that fraudsters use to trap unsuspecting and innocent people. Scammers first add the victims on platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, followed by classes on ''Stock and IPO'' investments. The targets are then asked to download trading applications and add money to the app's wallet. Once the amount is added there, fraudsters freeze the money to trap the victims.

''Want to become a Wolf, bear, or bull in the Share Market? Don't become a Guinea Pig for fake trading apps,'' read the caption of the post on Instagram along with hashtags like #FakeAppAlert
#DontTradeSafety and #SafetyTheBestBet

See the post:

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A post shared by Mumbai Police (@mumbaipolice)

Mumbai police also shared six tips on how to stay safe and alert and avoid being tricked by scammers. Here are the tips shared by the department:

1. Be cautious of fake accounts that impersonate genuine trading/investments or influencers.
2. Double-check the website URLs, reviews, privacy policy, terms & conditions and social media handles and review from the open source.
3. Verify and think twice before investing money in such platforms which are mostly coming through such online social media profiles/channels/influencers.
4. Avoid sharing sensitive personal or financial information through social media.
5. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading unauthorized applications from Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram & other social media platforms.
6. Report online cybercrime-related incidents on https://www.cybercrime.gov.in and National Helpline Number 1930 or the nearest police station.

Many users thanked the department for sharing the important advisory, while others posted their own experiences of getting duped.

One user said, ''Thanks for sharing. Been receiving a lot of these lately. Wanted to know the right way to report.'' Another commented, ''Thanks for sharing this, I was in such a WhatsApp group through social media, this is the exact modus operandi, 

A third warned fellow users of another scam and wrote, ''Ignore messages that say, your power supply is going to cut off, or any government sector s or for that matter from private sector.. directly call the government or private sector office to verify.. period.''