A 45-year-old lawyer from Worli has fallen victim to an elaborate online scam after fraudsters allegedly misused Bollywood singer Neha Kakkar’s name to promote a fake international trading platform called FXOnet.
Lawyer loses Rs 5.02 lakh after fake Neha Kakkar endorsements
According to a report by Mid-day, the complainant, advocate Shabnam Mohammad Hussain Syed, a resident of BDD Chawl in Worli, lodged an FIR at the Worli Police Station after discovering fraudulent online content in June 2025. The fake articles and videos falsely linked Neha Kakkar to FXOnet, branding it as a “trusted and legal trading platform.”Convinced by the deceptive promotions, Syed began interacting with two individuals — one identifying himself as Vijay and another as Jimmy D’Souza — through international phone numbers, Telegram (user ID: @fxonetlbot), and Zoom sessions. The accused also used professional-looking email IDs to bolster their credibility.
How the scam unfolded
The scammers helped Syed set up a trading account and shared “investment tips” via Telegram, posing as experienced financial advisors. Between June 18 and October 9, 2025, Syed transferred a total of Rs 5,02,025 from her HDFC Bank account via UPI to several accounts, including those under the names Rajesh Kannan (PONNURAKU@SUPERYES), VPI ProMedia Kigali, India Impex Trading Company, and VPI 361 VPECOM.
Despite repeated assurances, Syed neither received profits nor a refund. Realising she had been duped, she approached the police and registered a complaint.
Police launch probe
The Worli Police have booked the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act (IT Act). Investigators are analysing Telegram chats, Zoom meeting records, and UPI transaction trails to trace the culprits.