Udupi woman suffers loss of ₹31 lakh! Scammers use this novel method to rob her; learn how the entire incident unfolded.

Cyber ​​Fraud: A 55-year-old woman from Udupi's Udyavarra area fell so badly into the lure of an online job that she was duped of ₹31 lakh.

Cyber ​​Fraud: A 55-year-old woman from Udupi's Udyavarra area fell so badly into the lure of an online job that she was duped of ₹31 lakh. A simple work-from-home offer on Facebook became her most vulnerable weapon in cyber fraud.

The deception began with a Facebook ad.

On November 29, the woman saw a post on Facebook claiming she could earn money by working online from home. Upon clicking the post, she received a WhatsApp message from a person claiming to be an HR person at the "NSE Corporate Office." The conversation then shifted from WhatsApp to Telegram, where she was asked to fill out online forms and complete small tasks.

Building trust through small payments

To gain the woman's trust, the fraudsters began sending small amounts of money immediately upon completing each task. Seeing the initial payment, the woman believed she had actually found a part-time job. This belief led her to continue completing the tasks.

The Lure of Investment and the Spread of the Trap

On December 1st, the situation became more serious. The woman was added to a Telegram channel named Bir Kavish and later to another account. Here, she was told that if she invested a small amount, her earnings could increase exponentially. With the promise of a 30–40% return, earning options of ₹1,000, ₹3,000, and ₹5,000 were offered.

The small payments she received initially convinced her that the scheme was genuine. She sent ₹1,000 and ₹2,000 through the QR code, and then received ₹3,900 back. This proved to be her biggest illusion.

Loss of ₹31 lakh and broken trust

Encouraged by these small returns, the woman began sending larger amounts, quickly transferring a total of ₹31,00,067. But as soon as the larger amount was sent, all communication stopped. No messages were answered, no calls were answered. Only then did she realise she had become a victim of cyber fraud.

Police Case Registered, Investigation Ongoing

The woman immediately filed a complaint with the police. A case has been registered against an unknown accused under Sections 66(C), 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The investigation is currently underway.

The Growing Threat of Social Media Job Scams

This is not an isolated case. The fraud of millions of rupees in the name of work-from-home offers and investment schemes is rapidly increasing on social media and messaging apps. Gaining trust by making small payments initially and then demanding larger sums is a long-standing tactic of these fraudsters.

Internet users are advised to be wary of any unsolicited offers, especially those posing as investments or online jobs, and to immediately report any suspicious activity to avoid such fraud.