On Thursday, the police in Kannur registered seven new cases related to online scams perpetrated through instant messaging apps, resulting in a total loss of Rs 42.35 lakh for seven victims. These cases were reported across various police stations in the region, including Kannur town, Payyannur, and Kelakam. The common thread in all these incidents was that the fraudsters utilized messaging platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp to ensnare their victims. They lured individuals with promises of lucrative online jobs and substantial returns in exchange for a minimal upfront deposit.
In the first case documented at Payyannur station, a resident of Chakkad fell prey to a Telegram-based scam and lost Rs 29 lakh. He had transferred this significant amount to the fraudster, anticipating substantial returns as offered by the scammer. Their interaction had begun the previous month, with the victim making the transfers on August 20 and 22.
Similarly, at the same station, a woman from Kothayimukk became a victim of a WhatsApp-based scam, losing Rs 2.8 lakh. She received a job offer for an IT analyst role via WhatsApp and sent the money to secure the job. However, she neither received the promised job nor a refund of her funds.
In another instance, a resident of Payyannur lost Rs 1.40 lakh to a Telegram-based scam that promised an online job opportunity. Additionally, the police registered a case against cyber fraudsters who swindled Rs 90,000 from a Vellur resident.
Two separate cases were filed at the Kannur town police station, involving a loss of Rs 4.75 lakh for a Chalad native and Rs 1.10 lakh for a Pallikkunnu resident, both lured by the prospect of high returns.
Furthermore, Kelakam police in Kannur recorded a cyber fraud amounting to Rs 2.4 lakh.
The modus operandi of these fraudsters involved contacting victims through messaging apps, offering highly lucrative online jobs. These jobs typically entailed simple tasks like promoting products and services through activities such as ‘liking’ and ‘subscribing’ to websites and YouTube videos. In most cases, the scammers offered payment of Rs 50 for ‘liking’ a YouTube video or website, and daily earnings ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000.
Attracted by the promise of high income, individuals accepted these offers and commenced working for the fraudsters. Initially, they received modest sums of money as agreed. However, in the subsequent stages, the scammers presented new offers, such as promising high returns for a minimal initial deposit or introducing fresh job opportunities. Trusting their apparent employers, people transferred substantial sums of money to the fraudsters’ bank accounts. Once the funds were credited, the scammers would either sever communication or offer excuses for delayed interest payments due to purported technical issues.
Post Your Comments