Hyderabad woman duped in online part-time job scam, loses Rs. 1.3L
Hyderabad: A 33-year-old homemaker from Hyderabad lost ₹1,35,199 in an online job scam after receiving a WhatsApp message offering a part-time opportunity. The message claimed to be from someone affiliated with the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and promised daily earnings between ₹2,000 and ₹8,000 for completing simple online tasks.
The job involved posting five-star reviews for hotels on Google Maps, allegedly as part of a collaboration with Google. The victim was initially paid ₹203 after completing a task and submitting a screenshot, which encouraged her to continue.
As the scam progressed, she was added to a so-called “VIP group” where other members appeared to be earning large sums of money, supported by fake screenshots. She was then asked to make payments for “prepayment tasks” to unlock higher commissions.
Believing the scheme to be genuine, she continued completing tasks and depositing money into various bank accounts provided by the fraudsters.
The victim gradually lost awareness of how much money she had invested, eventually using up her savings and borrowing from family members. By the time she realized it was a scam, she had lost a total of ₹1,35,199. A formal complaint has been filed.
Public Advisory:
Authorities warn the public to stay alert against online job and investment scams, including fake “work from home” offers, “click and earn,” and “Google review” tasks.
Fraudsters typically use platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, and X to lure victims, often sharing fake profit screenshots and making small initial payments to gain trust. These scams are not endorsed by SEBI.
Victims of cybercrime are advised to dial 1930 or report the incident at cybercrime.gov.in immediately.
