Scams in the name of Google ratings, hotel review, PAN correction, job offer

Mysore/Mysuru: Online scams have victimised six individuals from Mysuru and Kodagu, resulting in significant financial losses worth Rs. 37 lakh. In the first case, a scam worth Rs. 7.55 lakh targeted G. Bala Vighnesh, a 28-year-old Government Officer residing in K.R. Mill Colony, Mysuru. He was lured into fraudulent activities when fraudsters initially contacted him via Telegram. They persuaded him to write hotel reviews, promising substantial earnings and even deposited Rs. 1,000 into his account to gain his trust.

Subsequently, they convinced him to engage in money transfers and provide reviews, with the promise of earning Rs. 3,000 daily. Unfortunately, Bala Vighnesh fell victim to this scam, losing a total of Rs. 7,55,568. The fraudsters managed to siphon off the money gradually without raising suspicion.

Google ratings scam

In another case, fraudsters targeted a woman, convincing her that she could make easy money. S. Veda, a resident of Shivarathreeshwara Nagar, received a WhatsApp message from scammers using the number 85768-44553, promising earnings through Google ratings.

Initially, she received Rs. 100 for completing the tasks. Later, by coercing her into transferring money and providing ratings, they convinced her that more significant profits were attainable. Veda initially made a transaction of Rs. 5,000, with the promise of substantial returns that eventually escalated to Rs. 8.29 lakh. However, before realising that she has been deceived, the fraudsters disappeared and the mobile number was switched off.

In another incident, a person lost Rs. 2.35 lakh after being manipulated into believing that his PAN number in an insurance policy was incorrect and needed correction for final claims. The victim Yash Kothari, a 23-year-old resident of Siddarthanagar, had received the call from a number (89290-26082).

The caller informed him of the error in his PAN number and demanded Rs. 78,569 to rectify it. Yash complied, making transactions worth Rs. 2,35,707. He later realised he had been scammed and reported the incident to the Police. The cases have been registered at Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) Crime Police Station, Mysuru.

Canada job offer scam

In a separate job scam, C.E. Jeevan, a 27-year-old from Katakeri village in Madikeri taluk, Kodagu District, fell prey to scammers who promised job opportunities in Canada through Facebook advertisements.

He was asked to pay Rs. 2.70 lakhs as processing fees to secure the job and obtain a visa. After making the payment and conducting inquiries, Jeevan discovered the fraudulent nature of the scheme and reported it to the Kodagu district Cyber Police Station.

Lure of lottery prize 

A farmer named Narun Chengappa from Churikadu village near Kutta in Kodagu District received a call from a ‘junior manager’ at a bank, who claimed he had won a lottery. The 58-year-old Narun was instructed to update his bank account information to claim the prize.

Believing the call was genuine, Narun shared his bank details, only to later discover that Rs. 4,49,500 had been fraudulently deducted from his account.

Promises never delivered 

Twenty-eight-year-old Bhavana from Srimangala village in Kodagu was defrauded of Rs. 11.63 lakh by scammers who contacted her via Telegram. They offered her various tasks, including Google reviews, promising significant profits upon completion.

Initially investing Rs. 3,000 for a task, Bhavana received Rs. 7,800 in return. Believing in the scheme, she continued to invest and ended up transferring a total of Rs. 11,63,594. Unfortunately, she later realised that the promised profits were  never delivered.

These incidents serve as stark reminders of the need for caution and due diligence when engaging in online activities. The Police have advised people to be wary of offers that seem too good to be true and to avoid sharing sensitive financial information with unknown individuals or platforms.