Sri Vijay Puram, April 16:
In a stark warning to digital job seekers, a woman from Wimberlygunj has fallen prey to a sophisticated online employment scam, losing over ₹9.18 lakh to fraudsters posing as representatives of a fake work-from-home company. The case, which surfaced after a formal complaint, has been registered under sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, at the Cyber Crime Police Station.
The crime began on December 17, 2024, when the victim, seeking flexible online income, responded to a Facebook post promoting a platform called “Global Network Media Work From Home.” The job promised easy money in exchange for completing simple online tasks. After initial interaction with a contact named “Anjali Prakash”, the victim was asked to perform image-based tasks and was even paid ₹1,030, an early bait that appeared legitimate.
As trust built, the victim was invited to a “VIP group” where she was promised higher returns for investing large sums. The fraud escalated with fake representatives from the so-called “finance” and “risk management” departments contacting her, citing technical issues and asking for more money to resolve them. Over a series of deceptive conversations, the woman transferred a total of ₹9,18,340 across several bank accounts. Eventually, all communication stopped and the platform vanished, leaving her financially and emotionally devastated.
Realizing she had been duped, she initially lodged a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and later escalated the matter with a detailed FIR. Authorities have launched an investigation and advised citizens to remain vigilant when dealing with online job offers.
Cyber security experts continue to stress the need for digital literacy and caution when sharing personal information or money online. The public can report similar incidents at www.cybercrime.gov.in or dial 1930.
