A 46-year-old resident of Ludhiana, who recently returned from New Zealand, has been cheated out of ₹21 lakh in a sophisticated work-from-home scam promoted on social media. The victim, Deepinderpal Singh, filed a complaint with the Ludhiana Rural cybercrime cell, detailing how the fraud unfolded.
How the Scam Started
On February 11, Deepinderpal Singh clicked on an Instagram advertisement that promised easy income. The ad redirected him to a WhatsApp contact, where a person posing as a company representative offered commissions for completing simple tasks, such as rating products. This is a classic example of a task-based scam, where victims are lured with small, legitimate-looking payments.
Building Trust and Escalating Demands
Initially, the fraudsters paid Deepinderpal Singh small returns on his minor deposits to build trust. Once he was convinced, they moved him to a Telegram channel, where he was pressured into making significantly larger transfers. His online dashboard showed accumulating profits, but when he tried to withdraw, the system blocked him.
Technical Error Excuse: The scammers claimed a technical error had deactivated his account and demanded further payments to unlock the funds. In an attempt to recover his initial capital, Deepinderpal Singh continued to pay until his total losses reached ₹21 lakh.
Police Action and Investigation
The cybercrime cell has registered a first-information report (FIR) for cheating under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigators are examining the digital footprint and financial transaction trails to identify the accused.
Public Warning
Police have warned the public against accepting job offers that require upfront deposits or shift communications to encrypted messaging apps like Telegram. They advise verifying the legitimacy of any work-from-home opportunity before making payments.
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