Hyderabad man loses Rs. 2.4 lakh in scam promising earnings for restaurant ratings
Hyderabad: A 45-year-old unemployed man from Hyderabad has been defrauded of Rs. 2,49,000 (two lakh forty-nine thousand rupees) in a cyber scam.
According to the cybercrime police, the victim was lured into a fraudulent scheme via a WhatsApp group named “813_2024 Data-Drive Digital.”
In the group, he was introduced to the “TELEGRAM GOOGLE TASK GROUP 37C,” which purportedly involved rating restaurants on Google and providing feedback. The scammers promised Rs. 50 for each task completed. After completing his first three tasks, the victim received Rs. 150.
Subsequently, the scammers persuaded him to participate in a “Welfare Task” promising Rs. 2,000, from which he earned Rs. 800, totaling Rs. 2,800. He was then introduced to a “Welfare Task” associated with an international company, the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE). After completing the task, he earned Rs. 1,500 and successfully withdrew the amount.
When the victim tried to engage in another task, he lacked the necessary funds but managed to gather the amount and pay. However, the scammers provided incorrect account details during the task, resulting in losing all his pending cash. They then informed him that additional payments were required to recover the lost amount and points, assuring him that this would be the final task before receiving his total earnings.
Following the completion of this task, the victim was informed that he had finished all tasks and was subsequently referred to another scammer posing as a finance manager. While attempting to withdraw his earnings, this new scammer claimed there was one final task to complete before any funds could be released. Despite not making any additional payments, the scammers continue to contact the victim through a Telegram page.
The victim has now lodged a complaint with the cybercrime police, requesting urgent action to be taken against the perpetrators.
If you suspect you are a victim of cyber financial fraud, report it immediately by calling the National Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930 or visiting cybercrime.gov.in. For emergencies, call or WhatsApp at 8712665171.
