The complaint claims to received a message on her telegram account offering a part-time job with quick returns
A 29 year old software engineer from Karnataka fell prey to cyber fraud offering her part time job, in which she lost Rs 22.3 lakh.The case was registered by the Central Division Cyber Crime Police ,victim Pallavi K.T. briefed police that she got lured by the high return of 700 just by investing a small sum of amount and she just invested all her savings even borrowed from her friends.
Pallavi further said that initially she got a message on her telegram account which was offering her a part time job and easy returns with an small initial amount and high returns and when she contacted the accused offered her the part time job, after completing the formalities and depositing small amount she noticed profit of Rs 700 instantly that made her hopeful of investing further so apart from investing her all savings she even borrowed from her friends.
However, her excitement turned into disappointment when she discovered that her bank account had been blocked immediately after transferring the money online. The accused claimed that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had blocked her account, asked Pallavi to transfer more funds to unfreeze the account.
Recognising the signs of something being shady, Pallavi reached out to her friends, who told them that she had fallen prey to one of the most prevalent forms of cybercrime known as the part-time job scam. This sophisticated scam operates by enticing victims with promises of lucrative returns for completing simple tasks within a short timeframe. To further deceive victims, fraudsters display virtual account balances that cannot be withdrawn, leading victims to believe in the legitimacy of the scheme.
As Pallavi soon realised, the tasks assigned by the fraudsters are deliberately designed to be time-bound and complex, causing victims to inevitably fail to meet the requirements. Subsequently, the fraudsters freeze the earnings and demand penalty payments, trapping victims in a cycle of deception and financial loss.
In response to Pallavi’s complaint, the cybercrime police came into action, registering a case of cheating against the accused under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Efforts are now underway to track down the perpetrators through their transaction details, with authorities trying to bring those responsible to justice and raising awareness about the dangers of online scams.
