Virtual Wallets: Inside Hyderabad’s Lucrative Part-Time Job Frauds

Hyderabad: Imagine receiving a seemingly harmless job offer from a reputed company, promising easy tasks and quick money. A few small payments build your trust as virtual profits stack up in your account. But as the tasks grow and the investments escalate, the dream of easy money turns into a nightmare of relentless demands and vanishing funds. This is the chilling reality faced by numerous victims across Telangana, who fell prey to sophisticated scams exploiting trust, digital platforms, and lucrative returns—leaving them with staggering financial losses and unanswered questions.

Although these so-called part-time job frauds have been around for a few years there are a few varieties where fraudsters lure potential victims under the pretext of review, task-based part-time jobs and in some cases converting into trading and investment scams. With over 6,000 cases in Tri-commissionerate limits consisting of Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda, Part-time job fraud emerged as the biggest menace. Over 3000 cases relating to part-time job fraud are registered in Cyberabad police commissionerate followed by Rachakonda and Hyderabad. Further in Cyberabad commissionerate alone victims lost over Rs 173 crores for these kinds of frauds.

Task-based part-time job fraud

A 27-year-old graduate from Kukatpally fell victim to a Telegram-based scam claiming to be associated with Amazon India. After joining the group, the victim was assigned product-related tasks with promises of payment. To lure victims, they initially paid small amounts to build trust. After five tasks, the user was asked to share screenshots and provide bank details for payment.

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After the fifth task, the user was directed to contact an instructor. The instructor directed them to register on a website to create an account which was used later on to show inflated profits in virtual accounts. The victim paid Rs. 1,64,000 through multiple transactions, receiving only Rs. 1,800. When asked to withdraw the profits, the scamsters demanded an additional Rs. 60,000 to withdraw supposed profits, the victim realized the fraud and filed a complaint with the Cyberabad Cyber Crime police station.

Review-based part-time job fraud

A 23-year-old graduate was scammed through an unsolicited WhatsApp message from someone claiming to be Seema, a recruiter from DAMCO Group Digital Marketing India. The scam began with a part-time job offer for reviewing Google Maps and restaurants, promising payments between Rs. 70 to Rs. 210 per review.

After completing initial tasks with small payouts, the scammers introduced “merchant prepaid tasks” requiring investments. Encouraged, he continued with subsequent tasks. For the 15th task, he participated in a group task, where each member paid Rs. 7,000. He registered on a provided website and found Rs. 8,400 in his wallet which was inflated after every task reaching Rs. 7,08,580 displayed in his virtual wallet

When attempting to withdraw Rs. 7,08,580 from his virtual wallet, the fraudsters demanded additional payments for “credit points” and “income tax,” totalling Rs. 3,02,474. “When he attempted to withdraw Rs. 7,08,580 displayed in his wallet, the transaction was rejected due to ‘insufficient credit points’.The tutor advised him to pay Rs. 2,00,000 to increase his credit points. Despite complying, his withdrawal request was rejected again, citing unpaid personal ‘income tax’. He was asked to pay Rs. 3,02,474 as tax. When he requested help to adjust the payment, the tutor declined but suggested paying in instalments,” said the complainant. Realizing the fraud, he approached Cyberabad Cyber Crime PS where a case was registered.

Part-time job offer turned into online trading scam

On December 17, 2024, a 46-year-old businessman from East Marredpally received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number. The sender, claiming to be Blythe, offered a part-time job rating hotels, restaurants, and Google Maps, promising Rs. 203 per task. Finding it potentially genuine, he asked about starting the work, and they sent a receptionist’s Telegram link.

They gave him photos to like and share, requiring screenshots as proof. Initially, they sent Rs. 150 for completing three tasks. Later, they provided a link (which they deleted) at the time of the complaint to join an official group and gave another new link for online trading. He followed their instructions and registered through the link.

They convinced him to invest with promises of huge returns. He initially invested Rs. 1,000 and received Rs. 1,420. Then he invested Rs. 3,000 and received Rs. 5,770. They convinced him to make more payments, promising substantial returns, but didn’t return his money. He lost Rs. 3,00,674. To get a refund, they asked him to invest another Rs. 2,50,000.

Fraudsters using multiple bank accounts in a well-orchestrated plan, impersonated organizers of reputed companies, promised lucrative investment returns and cheated him of Rs. 3,00,674. Subsequently, he filed a complaint with the Hyderabad Cyber crime police who filed a case.

Police advisory

Cyberabad police warned citizens against remote part-time job offers that seem too lucrative. They advised verifying the company’s legitimacy, being cautious with offers from mail and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, discussing with family and friends before accepting, and getting into any such offer, to being cautious while clicking the links sent through mail or messaging apps that may appear genuine. Report online financial fraud to the national helpline 1930.