Mangaluru: A 50-year-old man was allegedly cheated of Rs 1.85 lakh by fraudsters who lured him with the promise of a lucrative Kerala lottery prize through a social media advertisement. A case has been registered at Surathkal Police Station, and an investigation is underway to trace those involved in the online fraud.

According to the complaint, the victim came across an advertisement for a Kerala lottery ticket while browsing Facebook at his residence on May 29. The advertisement claimed that lottery tickets were available for Rs 50 and that the draw would be conducted later the same day.

Fraudsters contacted victim through phone

Interested in the offer, the complainant contacted the phone number mentioned in the advertisement. Soon after, he received a call from an unidentified person who introduced himself as Naveen.

The caller allegedly sent several lottery numbers and asked the complainant to choose one. After selecting a number, the victim was instructed to make a payment through a QR code provided by the caller.

Believing the scheme to be genuine, the complainant transferred Rs 100 towards the lottery ticket purchase.

Later that day, the fraudster informed him that the selected ticket had won a prize of Rs 12 lakh.

Victim asked to pay taxes and processing charges

To process the prize amount, the accused allegedly asked the complainant to provide identity documents and bank account details.

The victim subsequently began receiving requests for payments under various pretexts, including processing fees and taxes. Trusting the claims, he first transferred Rs 12,000 as a one per cent processing charge.

He later paid Rs 24,981 towards tax after being informed that the amount was necessary to release the prize money.

The fraudsters continued to demand additional payments, claiming that further tax clearance was required before the winnings could be credited. Acting on these assurances, the complainant transferred another Rs 58,760 to a separate bank account.

Final payment demand raises suspicion

The accused then demanded a final payment of Rs 89,895, claiming that the entire lottery prize would be credited to the victim’s account immediately after the deduction of a nominal charge.

Convinced that he would receive the promised winnings, the complainant transferred the amount to the bank account specified by the fraudsters.

However, after repeated delays in receiving the prize money, he became suspicious and requested the office address of the lottery company.

The accused provided an address in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, prompting the complainant and one of his friends to travel there on June 1 to verify the details.

Fraud exposed during Kerala visit

Upon reaching the location the following day, the complainant contacted the accused, who reportedly informed him that he was not present at the office.

The victim then made enquiries at the location and discovered that the lottery scheme was fake and that he had been deceived.

Realising he had fallen victim to an elaborate fraud, he approached the police and lodged a complaint.

Police said the victim lost a total of Rs 1,85,636 in the scam.

Police urge public to remain vigilant

Investigators have registered a case and launched efforts to identify and trace the individuals behind the fraud. Police have advised the public to exercise caution while responding to lottery advertisements and prize-winning claims circulated through social media platforms.

Officials have repeatedly warned that genuine lotteries do not require winners to make advance payments for processing fees, taxes or prize releases. Members of the public have been urged to verify the authenticity of such offers before transferring money or sharing personal information online.

The case serves as another reminder of the growing threat posed by online financial frauds that exploit people’s hopes of winning large cash prizes.