In yet another alarming case of cyber fraud, a man reportedly lost Rs4.66 lakh after falling prey to a fake online job scam operated through a WhatsApp message and a malicious app.
According to the complaint, the victim received a message on April 30 via WhatsApp, which contained a link to an app offering a job promising Rs500 per day plus a Rs500 bonus — totaling Rs1,000 daily. Encouraged by the initial credit of Rs1,000 into his account that same night, the man continued to work on the app.
Soon after, he was asked to pay a registration fee of Rs3,500 via a QR code scanner, which he did on May 1. The scam progressed slowly — after working on May 1 and 2, he received another Rs8,000, further lowering his guard.
However, the situation took a turn when the complainant transferred Rs25,000 each to his father’s bank accounts and Rs50,000 to his mother’s account — only to realise that the app had hacked his phone and accessed his and his parents’ bank accounts.
By the end of May 2, a total of Rs4.66 lakh had been fraudulently siphoned off into accounts controlled by the accused.
Accused Identified
The following individuals have been named in the FIR:
Harish
Vijender Kumar
Rahul Singh
Mateen Kumar
Police Action
A case has been registered at the Surathkal Police Station, and an investigation is underway to track the culprits and recover the stolen funds.
