A 30-year-old woman from Rajajinagar, Bengaluru, lost ₹2.9 lakh to cyber fraudsters who promised her child modelling assignments and later lured her into a task-based scam.
Sunitha (name changed) lodged a complaint with Basaveshwaranagar police, stating that on March 26, she came across a Facebook message from a stranger using the name Emery Lane, offering photoshoot and audition opportunities for children. Hoping to launch her child’s modelling journey, she responded.
Emery requested her child’s personal details, including name, age, and location, and then introduced a so-called “audition eligibility” process, which involved completing online tasks like liking and sharing posts.
Sunitha was redirected to a Telegram ID—@JohanJR666—who claimed she could earn small commissions (₹50–₹150) for each task. After a few successful transactions and minor payouts, she was introduced to “merchant tasks”, which required upfront payments of ₹5,000 or more.
As the tasks increased in cost, the fraudsters alleged she had made errors, demanding additional payments to continue or recover her earnings. Between March 26 and April 3, Sunitha made multiple payments, amounting to ₹2.9 lakh.
When she was asked to pay further to withdraw her “earned money,” she realised it was a scam and approached the police. A case has been filed under the Information Technology Act, and investigations are underway.
Authorities are urging citizens to avoid task-based online earning schemes, especially those involving unverified social media accounts or payment requests.
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