IT professional loses ₹12.85 lakh in online scam

PUNE An IT professional based in Wakad lost ₹12.85 lakh while trying to earn extra money online. A complaint regarding the incident was lodged by Sanjay Dashrath Amrutkar, 51, on Sunday.

The victim, who works remotely for a Bangalore-based IT company, fell prey to an online scam that promised lucrative earnings in exchange for posting positive comments on Google review.

According to the complaint, an unknown cyber fraudster approached him and offered him an opportunity to earn money from home. Intrigued, Amrutkar clicked on the message sent by the fraudster and started earning ₹150 on each positive review.

Soon after, Amrutkar received a call from a fraudster who claimed to be a representative of the company. The fraudster explained to him to participate in a paid task to get more money, in which he had to pay a certain amount for each task. The person promised him the money will be refunded with his earnings once he complets the task.

Police officials from Wakad police station said, Amrutkar, blinded by the prospects of earning easy money, transferred ₹12.85 lakh in five different transactions in the bank account of the fraudster.

However, things took an unexpected turn when Amrutkar realised that the task and task providers were both fraudulent. He attempted to contact them but they refused to repay his money. Amrutkar then lodged a complaint with the local police station on Sunday.

The cyber crime cell has taken up the case and has initiated an investigation to trace the culprits.

A case has been registered at Wakad police station under 406, 419, 420, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.