Mumbai resident loses Rs 6.43 lakh to cyber fraudsters

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A 41-year-old homemaker from Borivali in Mumbai fell prey to cyber fraudsters and lost Rs 6.43 lakh.

According to Mumbai Police sources, the complainant was browsing Instagram reels when she came across a link offering a part-time job that involved liking and sharing videos. Attracted by the offer, she fell into the trap of cyber fraudsters and lost Rs 6.43 lakh between November 30 and December 2.

"Initially, she earned Rs 200 after liking and sharing screenshots of 20 videos. Encouraged by this, she was added to a 'VIP group' on Telegram where she was lured into investing money with promises of significant returns within hours.

The complainant then invested Rs 3.07 lakh. However, when she attempted to withdraw her money, the fraudsters began demanding additional payments under various pretexts, such as taxes and fees. Trusting their claims, she transferred an additional Rs 3.36 lakh through a cheque to a bank account linked to one of the fraudsters.

Despite these payments, she did not receive her money back. Realising she had been cheated, the woman approached Borivali Police, an officer said.

"We have registered a case under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Information Technology (IT) Act today and are investigating it further," the officer added.