Mangaluru Youth Falls Prey to Rs 4.49 Lakh Work-from-Home Job Scam
Mangaluru's CEN police station has registered a case following a significant online fraud where a 28-year-old local youth lost Rs 4.49 lakh. The victim, who supports himself through dairy farming and agricultural activities, sought part-time work for additional income when he encountered the sophisticated scam involving fake work-from-home opportunities and product tasks. The complaint, filed on November 14, details how the elaborate scheme unfolded over several weeks.
His ordeal began after uploading his resume to a website in September. On November 3, his mobile number appeared in a WhatsApp group. Shortly after, a young woman identifying herself as Neha Sharma contacted him, claiming to be an employee of a company and offering a flexible work-from-home part-time job. She enticed him with promises of daily earnings between Rs 50 and Rs 200 for completing simple online tasks. Initially, the scheme seemed legitimate, with the youth receiving payments for the tasks he completed, building his trust.
The fraud escalated on November 4 when Sharma introduced a "Flipkart bonus task." She instructed him that by investing sums ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 18,000, he would receive a guaranteed profit of Rs 1,200. Driven by the prospect of quick returns, the youth transferred a total of Rs 4,49,000 between November 4 and 11. However, after these substantial transfers, neither the promised profits nor his invested principal amount were returned. Realizing he had been thoroughly deceived, he approached the authorities.
Authorities at the CEN police station are now investigating the case, which highlights the increasing prevalence of online job scams targeting individuals seeking supplementary income. The incident serves as a crucial reminder for residents of coastal Karnataka to exercise extreme caution when encountering unsolicited online job offers, especially those demanding upfront investments for guaranteed returns.
Image: varthabharati.in
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati DK
