Mangaluru: A woman from Mangaluru has reportedly been cheated out of ₹20.62 lakh after falling victim to a work-from-home scam that began with an Instagram advertisement.
According to a complaint lodged with the Bajpe Police, the incident unfolded on May 6, when the woman clicked on an ad offering part-time online jobs. She was soon contacted via the Telegram app and assigned simple digital tasks such as liking and reviewing restaurants. She was asked to submit screenshots to claim her commission.
To build trust, the scammers first transferred ₹120 into her account and issued her a fake “salary code.” She was then instructed to share her bank details with a Telegram user named Meena Reddy.
Gradually, she was added to multiple Telegram groups where more tasks were assigned, and the scam escalated. She was directed to register on a fake trading platform, supposedly for higher returns, and was introduced to others like Rajesh Verma, Rohit Sharma, Lucky Singh, and Ravi Patel, each appearing professional through coordinated messages and staged payments.
What began with small earnings turned into a complex scheme, drawing the victim into multiple transactions. Over time, she was manipulated into transferring over ₹20 lakh, believing it would yield higher commissions.
Once the fraudsters received the full amount, they ceased all communication. With no money refunded, the victim filed a police complaint. A case has been registered, and investigations are ongoing.