A resident of Greater Noida has reportedly lost Rs 20.54 lakh to a cyber fraud. The scam began with a text message offering a work-from-home job, where the victim was asked to rate hotels on Google Maps for monetary rewards.
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The Uttar Pradesh police have registered an FIR against an unidentified individual and launched an investigation into the case. Although the incident occurred in January this year, it was reported to the police only on Monday, news agency PTI reported.
Modus Operandi of Scam: Hotel Rating Jobs Work From Home
In his complaint to the police, Sandeep Kumar, who lives in Chi-1 sector of Greater Noida, said, “I received the text on his WhatsApp number that I can do a work-from-home job in which I need to rate hotels on Google Maps and I will receive money in return as rewards.”
Kumar was then added to a Telegram group with about 100 members, where he started performing the rating tasks. As he continued, the tasks soon included investment activities, according to the FIR.
“I started rating the hotels etc. With these tasks, there were some investment tasks too where I invested Rs 50,000 first, but I couldn’t withdraw the money from the website,” Kumar said, adding that when attempted to withdraw his money, he was asked to pay an additional Rs 5 lakh as tax.
Realising he had been defrauded, Kumar found himself unable to access the Rs 20,54,464 he had invested, he claimed.
“They asked me to pay Rs 5 lakh more as tax to their account, where I got to know that I have been a victim of financial fraud. I am not able to withdraw my approximately Rs 20,54,464 invested money,” Kumar stated.
‘Threat to Life’
In addition to the financial loss, Kumar alleged he has been receiving “death threats” from the fraudsters via Telegram and phone calls, PTI reported.
“I am getting death threats from these people on Telegram as well as on calls to defreeze the accounts,” he added.
A police official said an FIR was registered at the Cyber Crime police station in Noida Sector 36 and the matter is under investigation.
“The FIR has been registered under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation), and provisions of the Information Technology Act,” the local police official added.
Be Cautious While Trusting Job Offers
Be cautious of job offers received through WhatsApp and Telegram. Many scams are disguised as legitimate opportunities, luring victims with promises of easy money or high-paying work-from-home jobs.
Always verify the authenticity of the job offer by checking the company’s official website and contacting them directly through verified channels.
Avoid sharing personal or financial information with unknown contacts and be wary of offers that seem too good to be true. If you suspect a scam, report it to the relevant authorities immediately.
(With PTI inputs)
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