A young woman named Laksham Tara from Manipal fell victim to a WhatsApp scam after receiving a message about completing tasks and earning money. The incident occurred on the 23rd of this month when she received a WhatsApp message titled “Review job & Pre Paid Tasks” while in her room.
Out of curiosity, Laksham Tara completed the tasks mentioned in the message, which resulted in Rs. 205 being credited to her bank account. Shortly after, an unknown individual sent her a link to join a Telegram group called “Linkdin idea 2024 ertu 827thija.” Upon joining the group, she was instructed to invest in Pre Paid Tasks.
Trusting the fraudsters’ promises of higher returns, Laksham Tara deposited Rs. 4,600 and later Rs. 5,850 into various bank accounts as instructed by the stranger. Despite earning money twice before falling into their trap, she ended up depositing a total of Rs. 2,20,100.
In her complaint filed with the Manipal police station, Laksham Tara stated that despite investing more money as advised by the fraudsters with promises of greater returns, they never returned any funds as promised.
Authorities are currently investigating the matter and urging citizens to remain cautious while responding to such messages and refrain from sharing personal or financial information without proper verification.