Cyberabad engineer loses ₹51 lakh to Telegram-based fake job scam
HYDERABAD: A 43-year-old software engineer from Madinaguda has reportedly lost ₹51.34 lakh to a sophisticated online fraud operated through Telegram and a fake e-commerce platform.
According to a complaint filed by Hanumanthu Jarpala, a resident of Krishinagar, received a message on Telegram on October 1, 2025, from user ID @RiyaLall, who introduced herself as an HR representative offering a part-time job. She claimed to represent an e-commerce firm operating through a franchise model that provided full support and training.
Later, Jarpala was contacted by another Telegram user, @MeeraSuri, who asked him to register on a website — www.polybarkstyles.com. After registration, ₹10,000 was credited to his wallet on the platform. He was then assigned product-review tasks under the “Quickcraft Review” section and was asked to make additional deposits to clear “negative balances” shown during reviews.
Over several rounds, he deposited increasing sums — ₹10,000, ₹17,343, ₹10 lakh and later ₹14.85 lakh — as instructed by the platform’s administrators. Each time, he was told that the balance would be restored and profits credited. He was later contacted by another person using the Telegram handle @Ashoka, who identified himself as the admin of “P&B Solutions.”
After completing tasks, Jarpala was shown a virtual profit of ₹78.97 lakh in his online wallet. However, when he attempted to withdraw the amount, he was told to pay a 25% “verification fee” and a “restoration deposit” of ₹12 lakh to reactivate his account. Despite paying, no withdrawals were processed, and communication from the alleged administrators ceased.
In total, Jarpala transferred ₹51,82,657 through bank and UPI transactions, while only ₹48,324 was credited back. Upon realising it was a scam, he approached Kukatpally police seeking action against the operators of fraudulent domains — www.polybarkstyles.com and www.polybarkdecors.com — and Telegram users @RiyaLall, @MeeraSuri, and @Ashoka, linked to support@polybarkfurniture.com (P&B Solutions Team).
