Mangaluru Woman Loses Rs 4.1 Lakh in Cruise Ship Job Scam on Instagram
A 21-year-old woman from Mangaluru has been allegedly cheated of Rs 4.1 lakh by fraudsters who lured her with a bartender job on a cruise ship and assistance with visa processing. The incident came to light after the victim filed a complaint with the Mangaluru South Police Station.
According to the complaint, the victim came across an Instagram post on April 13 from an account named ‘Recruiting Agency’ that advertised cruise ship jobs. Upon clicking the post, she was redirected to a WhatsApp number where the accused introduced themselves as representatives of ‘Princess Cruise Lines Ltd, California, USA’.
One of the fraudsters, identifying himself as Johnny Faevelen, claimed to be the hiring manager and offered her a bartender position on a cruise ship. The woman was initially asked to pay Rs 10,000 as registration fees, which she transferred via Google Pay to a bank account provided by the accused.
Over the following weeks, the fraudsters demanded additional payments under various pretexts, including work permit charges, IELTS examination fees, visa processing charges, courier expenses, and other formalities. Between April 14 and May 8, the victim allegedly transferred money multiple times to different bank accounts and QR codes shared through WhatsApp and Telegram. In total, she transferred Rs 4.1 lakh.
The victim realized she had been scammed when the fraudsters stopped responding after receiving the full amount. A case has been registered at the Mangaluru South Police Station, and investigations are underway.
This incident highlights the growing menace of job scams on social media platforms, where fraudsters exploit job seekers by posing as representatives of reputed companies. Authorities advise people to verify job offers through official channels and avoid making payments to unknown individuals.
