Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 27 May 2024
A resident of Port Blair has lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police Station, reporting an incident of online financial fraud that cost him over Rs. 2.7 lakh.
The complainant, who lives with his family in Calicut, Port Blair, received a message on May 6, 2024, via the Telegram app from an unknown account offering a remote employment opportunity with a promising salary. Intrigued, he engaged in conversation with the person behind the account, who directed him to another Telegram account for further details.
After a series of discussions, the complainant was instructed to visit a website and register for a job that involved boosting mobile app reviews and ratings. He complied and started working as per the instructions. On the same day, he received Rs. 1,098 as salary in his SBI bank account.
However, he was later informed that he needed to maintain a minimum balance of Rs. 10,000 in his profile to continue receiving his salary. He deposited Rs. 10,000 into the working application and subsequently received Rs. 21,155 as salary. Encouraged by these initial payments, he continued working and depositing more money into the application.
The complainant reported depositing a total of Rs. 2,70,209 in multiple transactions between May 6 and May 9, using both the SBI Yono app and Google Pay. Despite working diligently, he did not receive any further salary payments, and his balance turned negative. Upon seeking clarification, he was told to deposit more money to meet the minimum balance requirement.
Realizing that he had fallen victim to a scam, the complainant ceased further deposits and reported the incident to the National Crime Reporting Portal on May 9, 2024. He has now formally requested the Cyber Crime Police Station to register an FIR against the unknown fraudster and take all possible measures to apprehend the culprit and recover his money.
The incident highlights the increasing prevalence of online job scams and the need for vigilance when engaging with unknown online entities offering lucrative opportunities.