Hyderabad: A 35-year-old man from Nagole lost Rs 36.30 lakh in an alleged online stock trading fraud after being lured by persons posing as representatives of Barclays International Group.

According to the complaint, the victim was added to a WhatsApp group named ‘Barclays’ on January 30, 2026, while searching for trading opportunities. The group administrators shared trading tips, profit screenshots and purported SEBI registration certificates to gain credibility.

He was later contacted by a woman identifying herself as Sanya Joshi, who used multiple mobile numbers and claimed to be an official trader. She shared a trading website link and persuaded him to register. The victim initially invested Rs 50,000, and the platform reflected profits, encouraging him to invest further in institutional stocks and IPOs.

Within a week, he invested larger amounts. The website displayed profits of nearly Rs 7 crore. However, when he tried to withdraw the funds, the accused allegedly demanded two per cent of the profit as processing charges. Suspecting fraud, the victim approached the police. He stated that he invested Rs 36,35,010 in 12 transactions and received only Rs 5,000 in return, suffering a net loss of Rs 36,30,010.

Malkajgiri Cyber Crime Police registered a case and initiated investigation.