Bengaluru woman retrieves ₹1.7 crore from scammers after losing ₹2.7 crore: Report

A significant portion of her losses, amounting to ₹1.7 crore, was successfully recovered, with an additional ₹30 lakh expected to be returned imminently.

Published on: May 3, 2024, 14:28:42 IST

By Yamini C S

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In a recent incident, a Bengaluru resident recovered a significant portion of her lost funds after falling prey to scammers. The woman, a 52-year-old entrepreneur, found herself entangled in a distressing situation when she lost a staggering ₹2.7 crore to fraudulent schemes between April 6 and April 22. However, she managed to recover ₹1.7 crore of the lost funds, a report from Moneycontrol said.

Her ordeal began when she clicked on a seemingly innocuous link promising financial rewards for engaging with certain YouTube channels. (HT Photo)

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Upon realizing the gravity of the situation, she took immediate action by reaching out to the helpline number 1930 and lodging a formal complaint with the cybercrime police department. Her ordeal began when she clicked on a seemingly innocuous link promising financial rewards for engaging with certain YouTube channels, the report said.

Initially lured by modest returns, which amounted to around ₹10,000, she gradually became ensnared in the scammers' web as they enticed her with promises of doubling her investments in a short period. Placing her trust in these deceptive assurances, she proceeded to invest varying sums, ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹30 lakh, into different bank accounts provided by the fraudsters, the publication stated.

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However, her suspicions were aroused on April 19 when she began receiving repetitive messages from the scammers, falsely claiming to have doubled her payments. Seeking counsel from a trusted family friend, she was awakened to the harsh reality of her situation—a victim of cybercrime.

Acting swiftly, she filed a complaint with the authorities, speeding up the tracing and freezing of the scammers' bank accounts. Through diligent efforts, a significant portion of her losses, amounting to ₹1.7 crore, was successfully recovered, with an additional sum of ₹30 lakh expected to be returned imminently.

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Police officials praised the woman's prompt response and cooperation, underscoring its instrumental role in facilitating the recovery process. They hailed this restitution as one of the largest ever achieved and returned to a victim of cybercrime.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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