Mangaluru: A 38-year-old woman from Kodailbail has fallen victim to an online fraud, losing ₹16.42 lakh after being lured by a fake work-from-home scheme. She lodged a complaint with Barke Police on March 25.

According to the complaint, she came across a Facebook advertisement promoting remote work. Clicking on it redirected her to a Telegram group named ‘Sannvi Kavya.’ To join, she was required to pay ₹120, after which she received 20 tasks. Upon completion, she earned ₹200, instilling confidence in the scheme.

Gradually, she was asked to invest larger sums—₹800 on March 3, ₹40,000 on March 4, and ₹80,000 on March 5—each time receiving a small return. The fraudsters then demanded more money, claiming it was necessary to release her “earnings.” Trusting the process, she transferred ₹1.5 lakh on March 6, followed by ₹2 lakh on March 7, ₹2.72 lakh on March 10, ₹4 lakh on March 11, and ₹5 lakh on March 13.

When the scammers refused to return her money, she realized the fraud and filed a case under the Information Technology Act. Police have launched an investigation into the cybercrime.

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