Cyber Fraud: Mumbai IT professional loses over Rs 37 lakh after clicking on malicious link

Online scam cases have increased recently in India, with numerous incidents being reported from all over the country. One such incident that occurred recently involved a 40-year-old man who lost near to Rs 38 lakh as a result of cyber fraud. According to the Free Press Journal, the IT professional was tricked after he clicked on a malicious link sent to him by an unidentified woman on Telegram.

The complainant, a resident of Mira Road, allegedly received a Telegram message offering an online income opportunity from an unidentified woman on November 22. Fraudulent woman claimed he would receive good commission for only rating certain products from her company online. The victim expressed interest in earning money after learning about it.

Scam using website link

The woman claimed that by rating the goods produced by her business, the victim could earn a sizable commission. Later, a different woman messaged the victim on Telegram, asking him to log in to a website after sending him a link to it. The victim was instructed to carry out specific website tasks in order to earn money, which would then appear in the website's e-wallet. The victim claims that one of the tasks is to rate various travel properties with five stars.

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The victim started working on the tasks on November 28 and could see his earnings appear in the e-wallet. The victim was informed that he would always be required to pay premium fees following the completion of tasks, which he would receive later along with his earnings.

Lost Rs 37.80 lakh rupees

The victim's total investment was Rs. 37.80 lakh, and his earnings as of December 3 were Rs. 41.50 lakh, according to the website. The victim then made a request to transfer cash from his electronic wallet. His requests, however, continued to appear as pending. The victim was shocked to discover later that the company's website and Telegram group had been deleted.

When the victim realised he had been scammed, he went to the police and reported the incident. The Information Technology Act's section 66D, which prohibits impersonating another person while using a computer resource, and the IPC's section 420, which deals with cheating and dishonestly procuring the delivery of property, have both been registered by the police.

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