A 32-year-old financial advisor from Pune has fallen prey to an online task fraud, losing a staggering sum of Rs 19.78 lakh in a span of just over a week earlier this year.
The victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, lodged a complaint with the cybercrime cell, leading to the recent registration of a case with the Ravet police. Initial investigations revealed a distressing sequence of events wherein the woman, enticed by promises of lucrative returns, depleted her savings, took out a personal loan, and transferred substantial sums to cybercriminals in the hopes of reaping quick profits.
According to police reports, the victim was initially approached via an unsolicited message, enticing her with the prospect of earning money from home. Subsequent interactions with the fraudsters, who posed as representatives of a company engaged in promoting various merchants, led the victim to believe she could earn by rating merchants online. For every completed task, she was promised a meager sum of Rs 50, receiving Rs 150 after three tasks.
However, the scam quickly escalated as the victim was persuaded to invest in prepaid tasks. Initially transferring a nominal amount of Rs 2,000 and seeing a corresponding increase in her profile balance, the victim fell deeper into the trap. With each subsequent transfer, she believed her profits were soaring, ultimately sending a staggering Rs 19.78 lakh to the scammers.
Tragically, the realization of being swindled dawned on her only after relentless demands for additional payments surfaced. The fraudsters, under the guise of tax obligations, coerced her into transferring even more funds, leaving the victim grappling with immense financial loss and the devastating consequences of falling prey to online deception.
