Udupi: In a series of online frauds reported in Udupi, three individuals have lost more than ₹10 lakh to cybercriminals who lured them with fake job offers and fraudulent KYC update requests.
Instagram Job Scam Costs Woman ₹7.63 Lakh
A woman named Renuka fell victim to a job scam after watching a job-related video on Instagram on July 18. Curious, she messaged a WhatsApp number and was redirected to a Telegram user. She was instructed to share her personal and banking details and perform “tasks” that initially paid small returns. Gaining her trust, the fraudsters eventually convinced her to transfer a total of ₹7.63 lakh.
The Manipal Police have registered a case under Sections 316(2), 318(4), 319(2) of the BNS, and Sections 66(C) & 66(D) of the IT Act.
Man Duped of ₹2.86 Lakh in Job Offer from ‘Rent.com’
In another case, Mallappa reported that on July 24, he was contacted by someone claiming to offer a job through a company called Rent.com. Under this pretext, the caller tricked him into transferring ₹2.86 lakh via UPI and RTGS. No job materialized, and the money was not returned.
A case was filed at Udupi Town Police Station under Section 318(4) of the BNS and Section 66(D) of the IT Act.
KYC Scam: Man Loses ₹33,700 from SBI Credit Card
Praveen, the third victim, received a call on July 31 claiming his SBI credit card KYC needed updating. After clicking a fraudulent link and entering an OTP, he discovered ₹33,700 had been debited from his card.
This case was also booked at Udupi Town Police Station under Section 318(4) of the BNS and Section 66(D) of the IT Act.
Authorities urge the public to avoid sharing personal or banking information online and report any suspicious communication immediately.