A 30-year-old woman from Bengaluru's Rajajinagar has become the latest victim of a well-orchestrated online scam that preyed on her desire to secure a modeling opportunity for her child, reported The Times of India. Over the course of just nine days, she was defrauded of nearly ₹2.9 lakh by cybercriminals who promised lucrative returns in exchange for completing so-called “merchant tasks.”
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How the scam unfolded?
According to the report, the scam began on March 26, when she received a message on Facebook from an account named “Emery Lane,” allegedly representing a child modeling agency. The sender claimed her child had been shortlisted for an audition and a professional photoshoot, prompting her to respond with basic details.
To gain her trust, the scammer initially asked her to engage in minor social media activities like liking and sharing posts related to child modeling. For each task, she received small commissions ranging from ₹50 to ₹150, which were quickly credited to her bank account.
The operation escalated when she was asked to switch communication to Telegram. There, a user with the handle @JohanJR666 introduced her to “merchant tasks” — a system where she was told to make upfront payments, starting from ₹5,000, with promises of high returns and career advancement for her child.
{{/usCountry}}The operation escalated when she was asked to switch communication to Telegram. There, a user with the handle @JohanJR666 introduced her to “merchant tasks” — a system where she was told to make upfront payments, starting from ₹5,000, with promises of high returns and career advancement for her child.
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After a few successful payouts, she was convinced of the scheme’s legitimacy. But soon, the scammers claimed she had made errors during the tasks and began demanding additional payments to “correct” them. Driven by fear of losing her previous investments, she continued to transfer money. In total, she sent ₹2.9 lakh to multiple accounts between March 26 and April 3.
Once the fraudsters' demands became relentless and the modeling opportunity never materialized, she grew suspicious and stopped engaging with them. On April 3, she approached the Basaveshwaranagar police station and filed a formal complaint.
Police have registered a case and launched an investigation. However, officials told publication that identifying the culprits may be difficult due to the use of fake profiles and encrypted messaging platforms like Telegram.