Hyderabad: Home maker loses Rs 4.5 lakh in cyber fraud

The victim filed a complaint with the Hyderabad Cybercrime police, who are investigating the case.

Hyderabad: A 40-year-old house wife from Hyderabad became the latest victim of cyber fraudsters, after losing about Rs 4.5 lakh in an investment fraud.

The victim received a message on her WhatsApp from scammers who were promoting a trade marketing investment scheme. They claimed the job involved promoting videos and photos by liking, rating, and sharing them. Initially, the scammers assigned the victim a task to give a 5-star rating. After completing the tasks, the victim received nominal payments initially.

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Cybercrime police said this led the victim to believe the scheme was genuine. She inquired about starting the work, and the scammers sent her a link via WhatsApp to create an account.

“After joining, the scammers instructed the victim to pay Rs 1,000 assuring her that she would receive Rs 1,300 in return. As promised, the refund was made. Subsequently, the victim was given another task and continued following the instructions. Over time, the scammers convinced the victim to invest increasingly larger amounts, promising significant returns,” said a cybercrime official.

However, after collecting a total of Rs 4.5 lakh, the scammers stopped returning her money. They continued to promise a refund, along with profits, but demanded an additional payment, which the victim did not receive either.

The victim filed a complaint with the Hyderabad Cybercrime police, who are investigating the case.

Victims of cybercrime fraud, can complaint on Dial 1930 or visit cybercrime.gov.in. In case of any emergency of cyber frauds call or WhatsApp on 8712665171.