Surat: A homemaker’s dream to earn from home turned into a nightmare when she lost Rs 40.45 lakh to cybercrooks.
All that 38-year-old Ramila Patelwala did was to respond to an innocuous WhatsApp message offering her part time work from an unknown number. The fleece continued till the harassed Surat homemaker finally approached the cyber crime police station with a formal complaint.
According to the police, cybercrooks lured the woman of 30% return for online task completion and collected more than Rs 40 lakh from her. She only got back Rs 27,550!
Patelwala told the police that she received a message on WhatsApp on July 27 this year for online part time work of liking YouTube videos. She was initially sent three videos to be liked with an offer of Rs 50 per like.
After she liked the videos, the cheaters transferred her Rs 150. After that, the cheater told her to make an account on Telegram and search for an ID named Lakshmi. She found it and upon clicking was sent a link from that ID. Lakshmi told her to open the link and register in the Gold group.
After registering, Patelwala was offered 30% returns for online task completion. Lured by the offer, Patelwala transferred Rs 1,000 initially to the account as told by Lakshmi. After completion of task, she got Rs 1,300 back in her account with 30% return. They also returned Rs 250 more as incentive.
After that Patelwala was given task for Rs 20,000, for which she transferred the amount. After completion of that task, she received Rs 26,000 back. After winning her confidence, the crooks started asking for more and more money for more tasks which she kept transferring.
However, the crooks started doling out excuses while returning her share of the money. Till August 2, she transferred Rs 46.07 lakh and when she asked for it, they asked her to show a screenshot of her account showing Rs 30 lakh in it.
As she realised that she was being cheated, Patelwala called a cyber helpline number and filed her complaint. Based on that complaint, Surat cyber crime police have filed a formal FIR on September 12 under IPC 420 and IT Act for cyber cheating.
All that 38-year-old Ramila Patelwala did was to respond to an innocuous WhatsApp message offering her part time work from an unknown number. The fleece continued till the harassed Surat homemaker finally approached the cyber crime police station with a formal complaint.
According to the police, cybercrooks lured the woman of 30% return for online task completion and collected more than Rs 40 lakh from her. She only got back Rs 27,550!
Patelwala told the police that she received a message on WhatsApp on July 27 this year for online part time work of liking YouTube videos. She was initially sent three videos to be liked with an offer of Rs 50 per like.
After she liked the videos, the cheaters transferred her Rs 150. After that, the cheater told her to make an account on Telegram and search for an ID named Lakshmi. She found it and upon clicking was sent a link from that ID. Lakshmi told her to open the link and register in the Gold group.
After registering, Patelwala was offered 30% returns for online task completion. Lured by the offer, Patelwala transferred Rs 1,000 initially to the account as told by Lakshmi. After completion of task, she got Rs 1,300 back in her account with 30% return. They also returned Rs 250 more as incentive.
After that Patelwala was given task for Rs 20,000, for which she transferred the amount. After completion of that task, she received Rs 26,000 back. After winning her confidence, the crooks started asking for more and more money for more tasks which she kept transferring.
However, the crooks started doling out excuses while returning her share of the money. Till August 2, she transferred Rs 46.07 lakh and when she asked for it, they asked her to show a screenshot of her account showing Rs 30 lakh in it.
As she realised that she was being cheated, Patelwala called a cyber helpline number and filed her complaint. Based on that complaint, Surat cyber crime police have filed a formal FIR on September 12 under IPC 420 and IT Act for cyber cheating.