Venkatesh, a 34-year-old man from Ambu Nagar, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, has been arrested in connection with a fraudulent online scheme that defrauded a woman of Rs17 lakh. The woman was convinced by the accused that she could earn an income by working from home, leading her to invest large sums of money in a scam.
This arrest follows the earlier detention of five other individuals involved in the incident. According to the Ernakulam rural cyber police, Venkatesh was part of a larger fraud network targeting victims through a fake work-from-home offer.
The woman initially came across an advertisement promising easy online earnings and registered on a website suggested by the fraudsters. She was tasked with rating various food products. To build her trust, the fraudsters initially paid her a small amount as a reward for her efforts. Encouraged by these small returns, the woman was persuaded to invest more money, with promises of higher profits.
Over time, she invested Rs5 lakh, Rs3 lakh, and Rs2 lakh in the scam, with the fraudsters showing large returns on the website. However, when she attempted to withdraw the money, she realized she had been scammed. She immediately filed a police complaint, prompting an investigation.
Police revealed that Venkatesh had initially fled abroad when the investigation began, leading to a lookout notice being issued against him. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that the woman had deposited Rs3 lakh directly into Venkatesh’s account.
The investigating team, led by Inspector Vipindas, along with SIs CR Haridas, CK Rajesh, M Ajesh, and CPO Lijo Jose, worked under the supervision of District Police Chief M Hemalatha to bring Venkatesh into custody.
