Mangaluru: A man from Mangaluru fell victim to a sophisticated online job scam, losing a total of ₹4.66 lakh after unknowingly allowing cybercriminals to access his and his family’s bank accounts through a malicious app.
According to a police complaint filed at Surathkal Police Station, the incident began on April 30, when the victim received a WhatsApp message containing a link that led to an app claiming to offer a job paying ₹500 per day, plus a ₹500 bonus. Trusting the offer, he worked through the app until 10 p.m. and was credited ₹1,000 that night.
Encouraged by the initial payout, the complainant was later asked to pay a ₹3,500 registration fee via a QR code sent through the same channel. On May 1, he transferred the amount and continued working. Over the next two days, ₹8,000 was credited to his account.
However, sensing something unusual, the man transferred ₹25,000 each to his father’s two bank accounts and ₹50,000 to his mother’s account in an attempt to safeguard funds. Shockingly, the fraudsters had already gained remote access to his phone and subsequently hacked into the linked family bank accounts.
By May 2, a total of ₹4.66 lakh had been siphoned off into accounts belonging to individuals identified as Harish, Vijender Kumar, Rahul Singh, and Mateen Kumar.
Authorities have launched an investigation and urge citizens to remain cautious about suspicious job offers shared via messaging platforms.