Yoga teacher lured by a gift of 50,000 Pounds, loses Rs. 10.9 lakh

Mysore/Mysuru: In a series of cybercrime incidents, three Mysuru residents — including a yoga instructor — collectively lost Rs. 48.3 lakh to online fraudsters.

Despite repeated awareness drives by the Police and the media, educated professionals continue to fall prey to digital scams promising quick  money and rewards.

Yoga instructor duped by ‘foreign student’

A Yoga teacher from Vivekanandanagar was conned by a man who posed as a foreign student. The fraudster, identifying himself as ‘Tommy Allison’, contacted her after seeing her Yoga training advertisements on YouTube and Facebook.

Claiming to be a German national interested in joining a two-month course, he promised to gift her 50,000 Pounds (approx. Rs. 59 lakh) as a token of appreciation, apart from paying the course fee.

However, he said he was unable to transfer the training fee directly due to some ‘banking restrictions’ and offered to send the gift amount instead, provided the Yoga teacher first paid a “customs clearance fee” to release the funds.

Believing him, the instructor transferred Rs. 10.9 lakh in multiple instalments to the account ‘Tommy Allison’ provided. When he demanded more money, she grew suspicious and investigated, only to discover she had been duped.

She promptly lodged a complaint at the Cyber Crime, Economic Offences, and Narcotics (CEN) Crime Police Station.

Rs. 29.4 lakh lost in online trading fraud

In another incident, a Gokulam resident fell victim to an elaborate online trading scam after responding to an Instagram advertisement. Convinced by the platform’s claims of high returns, he invested Rs. 29.4 lakh over time.

Once the money was transferred, all communication ceased and no returns were credited to his account. Realising the fraud, he reported the case at the CEN Crime Police Station, seeking action against the culprits.

Rs. 8 lakh conned in movie review job

A woman from T.K. Layout was lured by a fraudulent scheme that promised payment for reviewing and rating movies. Initially, she received Rs. 6,000, which built her trust.

Encouraged, she transferred Rs. 8 lakh in four instalments, expecting larger payouts.

When no further payments were received and the platform became unresponsive, she realised that she had been cheated.

She then filed a complaint at the CEN Crime Police Station, where an investigation is underway.

These three cases highlight the growing sophistication of cyber fraud and the need for heightened vigilance.

Police are urging the public to verify online offers thoroughly, avoid making advance payments and be vigilant about suspicious activities to prevent falling victim to such scams.