Latest news with #RachanaRanade
Indian Express
03-08-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Deepfake video used for share fraud: 5 held from MP, Delhi for siphoning funds via crypto route
Days after a deepfake video of a share trading expert was used to dupe a Pune businessman of Rs 54 lakh, the Pimpri Chinchwad police arrested five men, two from Madhya Pradesh and three from Delhi, allegedly for siphoning funds abroad to cyber fraudsters through cryptocurrency route. An FIR in the case was registered by the complaint who runs a kitchen products business. Recently while watching reels on Instagram, he came across a video of share trading and finance expert Rachana Ranade. Probe has now revealed that it was a deepfake video directing the viewers to a malicious platform. After the complainant clicked the link, he was directed to a WhatsApp group. Subsequently he was manipulated into downloading a fraudulent application which promised very high returns on investments. The complainant transferred Rs 54.6 lakh to fraudulent mule accounts between March 27 and May 9. And the corresponding profit on the fraudulent app was shown as Rs 2.52 crore — which was over 400 per cent of the investment. While trying to withdraw his 'profit', the complainant realised that he had been cheated. He approached the Cyber crime police station of Pimpri Chinchwad police and an FIR was registered on July 12. As the team from Cyber crime police station of Pimpri Chinchwad police launched a probe, they zeroed in on a particular bank account that had received Rs 10 lakh of the total fraud amount. The funds were further diverted into two accounts. All these three accounts belonged to an entity based out of Indore named Mahavir Enterprises. A team from the police station was sent to Indore and a suspect identified as Punam Mangilal Jain (42), who owns a cold drinks trade business, was arrested. Probe revealed that he had opened seven accounts in the entity's name and four of them had received funds from the cyber criminals. Police further arrested his accomplice Ganesh Punamchand Dhole (28), with whose help accounts had been opened. Investigation into the technical leads obtained from these two, led the investigation team to three suspects in Delhi who in fact operated these accounts as mule handlers and converted the money to Tether cryptocurrency to be sent to international masterminds. These suspects were getting their cuts from these transactions, a probe has revealed. The police subsequently arrested the three suspects from Delhi identified as Rajesh Jaiprakash Kushwah alias Rocky (28), Pradeepkumar Madanlal Ken (30) and Harshit Omprakash Ghotan (28). For more than a year now, the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad police have reported what their cyber investigators are calling an epidemic, a worrying surge in online share trading fraud cases. Fraudsters employ a variety of baits, including trading tips, virtual lectures, mobile applications, and enticing promises of exorbitant returns. The Indian Express had earlier reported that deepfake videos of stock market experts and industry leaders urging investors to join WhatsApp groups or download spurious trading apps were part of the evolving strategies of the cyber criminals perpetrating the share trading frauds. Sushant Kulkarni is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express in Pune with 12+ years of experience covering issues related to Crime, Defence, Internal Security and Courts. He has been associated with the Indian Express since July 2010. Sushant has extensively reported on law and order issues of Pune and surrounding area, Cyber crime, narcotics trade and terrorism. His coverage in the Defence beat includes operational aspects of the three services, the defence research and development and issues related to key defence establishments. He has covered several sensitive cases in the courts at Pune. Sushant is an avid photographer, plays harmonica and loves cooking. ... Read More
Time of India
31-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Flipkart launches ‘InvoiSIS - a playful new way to rethink Rakhi gifting
This Raksha Bandhan, Flipkart is celebrating the bond of siblings rather than focusing on discounts. Flipkart launched InvoiSIS , the Rakhi invoice generator , that was inspired by the simple truth that sisters do a lot for their brothers; things that often go unnoticed or unacknowledged. They created a light-hearted, yet functional tool that calculates the certified value that came with each favour and collaborated with finance educator and sister CA Rachana Ranade to execute this idea. Sisters could then attach a Flipkart wishlist that matched their invoice total, turning emotional dues into a real-time, shoppable bill. The site is designed in a classic notepad style, keeping it simple and inclusive. DDB Mudra Group conceptualised the campaign through including culturally relevant content, fictional invoices for siblings, meme formats and influencer engagement. With minimal media spend and maximum relatability, InvoiSIS encouraged more thoughtful, higher-value gifting. Pratik Shetty, vice president - growth and marketing, Flipkart said,'Rakhi is an emotionally rich moment and we saw an opportunity to move beyond transactional gifting. With InvoiSIS, we wanted to create something sisters could truly relate to, something fun and rooted in their everyday reality. It's not just about the product value, it's about making that bond feel seen and celebrated.' Gagandeep Bindra and Rahul Arcot, group creative directors, DDB Mudra Group added,'We figured it should at least match the value of everything sisters do for us. So we teamed up with financial expert Rachana Ranade and put a price on all sisterly favors, letting sisters raise an invoice for what she is owed, and demand a fair gift in return.' Flipkart's Rakhi campaign , InvoiSIS, combined humor and relatability, promoting deeper emotional connection, to boost brand and campaign presence this Rakshabandhan celebration season. Watch the film here:
Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
IT officer duped of ₹91.67 lakh by cyber frauds
MUMBAI: A 46-year-old official from the Income Tax department was duped of ₹ 91.67 lakh in an investment fraud by some unidentified cyber frauds. On Monday, a case was registered against the unidentified individuals for cheating and forgery. The Cyber police are investigating the case. IT officer duped of ₹ 91.67 lakh by cyber frauds According to the police, the victim came across videos of Rachana Ranade, a chartered accountant and an investment expert, on social media and expressed her interest in investing through the link mentioned in the post. She had also shared her contact details, after which she was added to a WhatsApp group where investment tips were shared, a police officer from the cyber cell said. She told the police that many people on the WhatsApp group were making immense profits, which encouraged her to invest similarly. She reached out to the group admin to get more details on how she could invest in order to make profits, as seen on the WhatsApp group. 'They sent her a link through which she could install a mobile application. The app's name was similar to a multinational bank's name. She initially invested a small amount and made a 15% profit immediately. They also sent her forged acknowledgement letters from the multinational bank and Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to gain her confidence,' said the police officer. 'The initial profit was credited to her bank account by the frauds to gain her confidence.' From May 15 to June 3, she invested an amount of ₹ 57.67 lakh by transferring the amount to various accounts as directed by the frauds, and the app reflected ₹ 4 crore profit. On June 3, when she tried to withdraw the amount, she was asked to pay an amount of ₹ 34 lakh as a service charge to withdraw her profits. 'She paid the amount and then tried to withdraw the money. She was again asked to pay a security deposit of ₹ 40 lakh. She then realised she had been cheated. She was duped of ₹ 91.67 lakhs in total, ' said the police officer. The police have registered a case against the unidentified individuals under sections 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by personation), 336 (forgery), 338 (forgery of valuable securities, wills, and other documents) and 340 (fraudulent or dishonest use of a forged document or electronic record) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.
Economic Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Hurun India list: This 26-year-old with 5.5 million followers is India's most followed woman influencer-founder
Live Events Rachana Ranade, aged 38, a Chartered Accountant from Pune, is the founder of Rachana Ranade & Associates. A financial educator, she has also amassed over 5 million YouTube subscribers, becoming a trusted voice in financial literacy. Himani Chowdhary, aged 30, from Delhi, is the founder of Financial Vines, a digital platform offering round-the-clock market updates and personal finance tools. Her content simplifies complex topics like investments, mutual funds, and taxes. Here's the list in table format: Rank Name Instagram Followers (Million) Age Company/Platform City of Residence 1 Mrunal Panchal 5.5 26 MRUCHA Beauty Vapi 2 Diipa Khosla 2.4 35 indē wild Amsterdam 3 Diksha Arora 2.1 – English Compiled, Kolkata 3 Dolly Jain 2.1 50 Dolly Jain Innoworks Kolkata 5 Neha Nagar 1.9 30 Noida 6 Richa Gangani 1.6 29 Richa Fitness Lab Udaipur 7 Ishita Saluja 1.5 36 Ishita Saluja Image Consultancy, Kynaa Gurugram 8 Masoom Minawala 1.3 31 Mumbai 9 Rachana Ranade 1.1 38 Rachana Ranade & Associates Pune 9 Himani Chowdhary 1.1 30 Financial Vines Delhi (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel At just 26, Mrunal Panchal has emerged as the most followed woman influencer-founder in India, according to the 2025 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List. With 5.5 million Instagram followers, Panchal leads the ranking that honours women entrepreneurs who have built influential digital brands across beauty, fashion, fitness, and founder of MRUCHA Beauty, has gained recognition for her relatable content and entrepreneurial spirit. 'She is a dynamic influencer known for her captivating beauty and fashion content. As the founder of her beauty brand, MRUCHA Beauty, she combines her expertise in makeup with her entrepreneurial spirit, offering products that resonate with her audience's needs for quality and innovation,' the report second place is Diipa Khosla, 35, with 2.4 million followers. She is the founder of indē wild, a skincare brand that combines Ayurvedic principles with modern formulations. Based in Amsterdam, Khosla was also the first Indian-born influencer to walk the Cannes red carpet and runs the Post for Change Foundation, promoting social change through digital advocacy. Her company has raised over $5 million in Arora, founder of English Compiled and is an interview coach and entrepreneur from Kolkata. An LLB graduate from the University of Delhi, she shares practical career advice and strategies with job seekers across the Jain, 50, also from Kolkata, is the founder of Dolly Jain Innoworks. She is a celebrated saree draping expert and stylist known for her innovative draping techniques and apparel Nagar is ranked 5th, with 1.9 million followers. Aged 30, she is based in Noida and runs a platform focused on simplifying financial literacy through engaging digital 6th place is Richa Gangani, a 29-year-old fitness and wellness influencer from Udaipur, with 1.6 million followers. She is the founder of Richa Fitness Lab, known for personalised nutrition and health transformation Saluja, aged 36, ranks 7th with 1.5 million followers. She is the founder of Ishita Saluja Image Consultancy and co-founder of Kynaa, a multi-designer store. Based in Gurugram, she has mentored over 10,000 women in personal styling and confidence 8th place is Masoom Minawala, aged 31, from Mumbai, with 1.3 million followers. A global fashion entrepreneur, she runs and has worked with international luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and by the Hurun Research Institute, the 2025 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List features 97 women across nine categories, grounded in five pillars: Wealth Creation, Value Creation, Philanthropy, Culture, and Start-ups. This first-of-its-kind list offers a data-driven snapshot of Indian women who are transforming their industries and building communities through influence and innovation.
