Part-time job fraud: Cyber frauds dupe retired cop of ₹10.60L

A retired police inspector was scammed of ₹10.60 lakh in a part-time job fraud after responding to a WhatsApp job offer. Police are investigating.

MUMBAI: A 58-year-old retired police inspector who has worked with the State Intelligence Department (SID) was duped of ₹10.60 lakh in a part-time job fraud. The victim, identified as Keshav Andhale, 58, a resident of NM Joshi Marg in Byculla, was looking for a work-from-home job opportunity after retirement and the cyber frauds lured him with prospects of earning well.

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According to his complaint to the police, on September 13, he got a WhatsApp message from an unknown woman, offering him a part-time job opportunity. When he showed interest in the offer, he was asked to download the Telegram app, a free, cross-platform messaging app, and told that the money would be credited to his account, if he completed the tasks entrusted to him. He, accordingly, completed three tasks of “liking” and “reviewing” some products whose advertisements were displayed on social media and received ₹38,000 in instalments,” said a police officer from Agripada police station.

Later, he was asked to deposit money before new tasks were entrusted to him. He followed the instructions and successfully completed all the tasks and simultaneously deposited the requisite amounts for each of the tasks. However, despite completing the work, his returns were not reflected in his virtual account and when he inquired about it, he was asked to deposit ₹3 lakh more to get the complete amount back.

“He suspected something was wrong and immediately called the 1930 cyber crime helpline and later approached us. We have registered an offence under sections 318(4) (cheating) and 319(2) (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and under sections 66C (identity theft) and 66D (cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act, 2000,” said the police officer.