A 50-year-old man from Mangaluru fell victim to cyber fraudsters who duped him of Rs 1.8 lakh through a fake Kerala lottery advertisement on Facebook. The scammers convinced him that he had won a prize of Rs 12 lakh and then extracted money under the pretext of taxes and processing charges.
How the Scam Unfolded
According to the complaint filed by the victim, on May 29, while browsing Facebook on his mobile phone, he came across an advertisement for a Kerala lottery ticket priced at Rs 50. The ad claimed that the draw would be held later that evening. Interested, the complainant contacted the phone number provided in the advertisement. A person identifying himself as Naveen answered and sent lottery numbers, asking the complainant to choose two of them. The victim then paid Rs 100 through a QR code sent by the caller.
At around 4 pm the same day, the caller informed the complainant that he had won a lottery prize of Rs 12 lakh. The fraudster then requested the complainant's Aadhaar details, bank account number, and IFSC code, which were subsequently shared. The accused then claimed that 1% of the prize amount had to be paid as a processing fee and provided a number for online payment in the name of Deepak. Believing the claim, the complainant transferred Rs 12,000.
Subsequent Demands and Payments
The following day, the victim was asked to pay an additional Rs 24,981 as tax, which he transferred through Google Pay. Subsequently, another demand for Rs 58,760 was made, along with a so-called tax bond, and the amount was transferred to another online payment account provided by the fraudsters. The accused later demanded a further payment of Rs 89,895, claiming it was the final tax payment and assuring the complainant that the prize money would be credited to his account after deducting a nominal charge of Rs 350. The complainant transferred the amount through NEFT to a bank account provided by the accused.
Discovery of the Fraud
Suspicious after making the payments, the complainant requested the lottery company's office address. The fraudsters sent a location in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Accompanied by a friend, the complainant traveled to Thiruvananthapuram on June 2 to verify the claim. When he contacted the accused over the phone, he was told that the latter was not present at the office. Upon visiting the lottery office, the complainant learned that the lottery scheme was fake and that he had been cheated.
Legal Action
A complaint has been filed seeking identification of the accused and appropriate legal action against those involved in the fraud. Authorities are investigating the case.
