Colonel (Retd.) Arun Malhotra had just finished his morning tea when his phone buzzed. A follow request on X (formerly Twitter) caught his attention.
The name was familiar: Maye Musk X Officials. He clicked on the profile. Could it be Elon Musk’s mother?
His curiosity got the better of him. Another request popped up almost immediately from an account named IamAnnaSherman. The bio said she was Elon Musk’s assistant.
“This is interesting,” Arun murmured, sipping his tea. He had always been fascinated by Musk’s work, especially SpaceX. If there was an opportunity to invest, why not explore it?
Little did he know, he was walking into a trap.
The ‘Exclusive’ Investment Offer
A few days later, a message arrived in his DMs.
Anna Sherman: “Mr. Malhotra, I’ve noticed your interest in Elon Musk’s work. Would you like a chance to personally invest in SpaceX and Tesla?”
Arun’s heart skipped a beat. Investing directly in Musk’s companies? This was unheard of.
He replied cautiously, “How does this work?”
Anna quickly responded, “I can introduce you to Mr. Musk himself. If you’re interested, he will guide you through the process.”
A direct line to Elon Musk? It seemed too good to be true. But Arun, like many others, had seen the impossible become reality in Musk’s world. Maybe, just maybe, this was one of those rare opportunities.
The Trap Closes In
Within a week, Arun received a WhatsApp number. The profile picture had Elon Musk’s face, and the name displayed was ElonMuskXAI.
“Good morning, Mr. Malhotra,” the message read. “I’m pleased to welcome you to this exclusive investment opportunity. SpaceX and Tesla are opening private investment channels to select individuals. Are you interested?”
Arun checked the number on Truecaller. It was registered in Fremont, USA, the headquarters of Tesla. His doubts began to fade.
“Yes, I’d love to be part of this,” he replied.
The next morning, he received bank details from Anna. “Your initial investment should be ₹2.9 lakh,” she instructed. “Once we confirm your funds, you’ll be an official shareholder.”
Without thinking twice, Arun transferred the amount to a Kotak Mahindra Bank account under the name Bajirao Hariba Lokhande. Soon, he received confirmation.
“Congratulations, Mr. Malhotra. You are now a Tesla shareholder.”
The excitement was real. But so was the scam.
The Never-Ending Investments
Over the next few months, Arun was persuaded to invest more. He was added to private Telegram groups where other ‘investors’ shared screenshots of massive profits.
“You should invest more,” Anna urged. “A bigger stake means bigger returns.”
By June 2024, Arun had transferred money 22 times, via bank transfers and PayPal, amounting to nearly ₹73 lakh.
Then, the withdrawals began.
When he requested to cash out, a new character entered the scene, Deepak Chakravorthy, the ‘CEO’ handling his funds.
“Mr. Malhotra, your investments have grown to ₹78 lakh,” Chakravorthy informed him. “However, before withdrawing, you must pay a tax of ₹7.3 lakh.”
Arun frowned. “Why can’t you deduct the tax from my profits?”
Silence.
Messages stopped. Calls went unanswered. The reality hit hard, he had been scammed.
The Aftermath & Lessons Learned
By the time Arun reported the fraud, the scammers had disappeared.
Inspector Jitender confirmed that a case had been registered, but tracking international cybercriminals was a complex task.
Sadly, Arun was not alone. According to reports, scammers impersonating Elon Musk had stolen over $5.4 million from 2,700 victims worldwide between 2018 and 2022.
And now, they had found their way into India.
So, what can you do to protect yourself?
- Verify Every Investment Offer: If someone claims to represent a high-profile individual or company, verify through official channels.
- Be Skeptical of Too-Good-To-Be-True Deals: Direct investment in companies like SpaceX and Tesla doesn’t happen through social media DMs.
- Never Send Money Without Due Diligence: Double-check bank account details and investigate who you’re dealing with.
- Report Suspicious Activity: If you suspect a scam, register with us and get assistance to report it immediately to cybercrime authorities.
Arun’s story is a harsh reminder of how cybercriminals exploit trust. If something sounds too exclusive, too profitable, and too easy, it’s probably a scam.
Stay alert, stay safe!
