A young professional from Bannur lost ₹4.90 lakh after falling prey to a fraudulent investment scheme advertised on Instagram. The Mangaluru Central Crime Police Station has registered a complaint and launched an investigation into the scam.

The victim, employed at a private firm in Bengaluru, discovered the scam ad on March 1, promising high investment returns. She was instructed to send ₹10,000 via UPI for an initial task and made the payment through PhonePe.

Later, she contacted the provided WhatsApp number, where she was falsely assured that her ₹10,000 investment would yield ₹2 lakh. Trusting the lucrative promise, she continued transferring money in multiple transactions, eventually sending ₹4,90,997. However, when the promised profits never arrived, she realized the fraud and filed a complaint.

Stay Safe from Online Fraud

🔹 Never trust unrealistic investment schemes on social media.
🔹 Do not transfer money to unknown sources without verification.
🔹 Police never demand money online; “digital arrest” is a scam.
🔹 Avoid sharing personal banking details, OTPs, or passwords.
🔹 Report frauds immediately to authorities and your bank to prevent further loss.