A resident of Noida, Greater Noida has allegedly become a victim of cyber fraud which cost him Rs 20.54 lakh after he was lured into the scam through a text message offering work from home. Monetary rewards included rating hotels on Google Maps. ,
Police said they have registered an FIR against the unidentified accused and started investigating the case, which took place in January this year, but was reported to them only on Monday.
Sandeep Kumar, who lives in Chi-1 sector of Greater Noida, said in his complaint to the police, "I received a message on their WhatsApp number that I can work from home, in which I have to rate hotels." on Google Maps and I will receive money in return as a reward."
He was then added to a Telegram group with around 100 members, where he started doing rating work.As he continued, according to the FIR, the operations soon included investment activities as well.
Kumar said, "I started rating hotels etc. Along with these tasks, there were also some investment tasks where I first invested Rs 50,000, but I could not withdraw the money from the website." He was asked to pay an additional Rs 5 lakh as tax.
Realizing that he had been defrauded, Kumar found himself unable to access the Rs 20,54,464 he had invested, he claimed.Kumar said, "They asked me to deposit Rs 5 lakh more as tax in my account, where I came to know that I have become a victim of financial fraud. I am not able to invest my amount of around Rs 20,54,464." "
Apart from financial loss, Kumar alleged that he has been receiving "death threats" from the fraudsters through telegrams and phone calls.
"I am receiving death threats from these people on Telegram as well as calls to defreeze the accounts," he said.
A police officer said an FIR was lodged at the cyber crime police station in Noida Sector 36 and the matter is being investigated."The FIR has been registered under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation), and provisions of the Information Technology Act," the local police officer said.
Police said they have registered an FIR against the unidentified accused and started investigating the case, which took place in January this year, but was reported to them only on Monday.
Sandeep Kumar, who lives in Chi-1 sector of Greater Noida, said in his complaint to the police, "I received a message on their WhatsApp number that I can work from home, in which I have to rate hotels." on Google Maps and I will receive money in return as a reward."
He was then added to a Telegram group with around 100 members, where he started doing rating work.As he continued, according to the FIR, the operations soon included investment activities as well.
Kumar said, "I started rating hotels etc. Along with these tasks, there were also some investment tasks where I first invested Rs 50,000, but I could not withdraw the money from the website." He was asked to pay an additional Rs 5 lakh as tax.
Realizing that he had been defrauded, Kumar found himself unable to access the Rs 20,54,464 he had invested, he claimed.Kumar said, "They asked me to deposit Rs 5 lakh more as tax in my account, where I came to know that I have become a victim of financial fraud. I am not able to invest my amount of around Rs 20,54,464." "
Apart from financial loss, Kumar alleged that he has been receiving "death threats" from the fraudsters through telegrams and phone calls.
"I am receiving death threats from these people on Telegram as well as calls to defreeze the accounts," he said.
A police officer said an FIR was lodged at the cyber crime police station in Noida Sector 36 and the matter is being investigated."The FIR has been registered under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation), and provisions of the Information Technology Act," the local police officer said.
