Navi Mumbai: 48-year-old man lured with easy money through 'online tasks', loses Rs 18 lakh

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A 48-year-old man from Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai allegedly lost nearly Rs 18 lakh after being lured with easy money through "online tasks", an official told news agency PTI on Saturday.

The complainant, a resident of Kharghar, told the police that some people got in touch with him through the Telegram app offering "pre-paid" online tasks and irresistible returns, reported PTI.

The man received some money initially but ended up forking out Rs 17.9 lakh between August 22 and 23. The money was transferred to four bank accounts, he told the police.

When the man sought payment for the tasks done by him and the return of his money, the fraudsters gave vague replies and then became unreachable, the official official told PTI.

Based on the man's complaint, the Cyber Police station of Navi Mumbai on Friday registered a case of cheating under the Indian Penal Code and the IT Act, the official told PTI, adding that no arrests have been made so far.

In another incident, a 33-year-old woman from Navi Mumbai has allegedly lost Rs 17 lakh after being lured by fraudsters with an online job offer, police told PTI on Wednesday.

Two unidentified persons contacted the victim, from Kamothe area in Navi Mumbai, via Telegram app and offered her an online reviewing task on a website for which she was promised lucrative returns, an official from the Cyber police station told PTI.

For the job offered, the persons allegedly took Rs 17,00,629 from her between August 9 and 14, 2023, he said.

After completing the task, when the victim sought payment of her earnings and the money which she had given to them, the persons gave her evasive replies and later became unreachable, the official told PTI.

The woman approached the cyber police station in Navi Mumbai on Monday and filed a complaint, he said.

The police have registered an FIR against two unidentified persons under sections 420 (cheating) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Information Technology Act, the official told PTI.

No arrest has been made so far, the police told PTI, adding a probe is on into the case.

(With inputs from PTI)