Cognizant techie duped of ₹1.7lakh in Telegram job scam

HYDERABAD: A young software engineer working at Cognizant Technology Solutions was allegedly duped of ₹1.7lakh by cyber fraudsters who lured her with the promise of high-paying part-time work through a fake cryptocurrency trading platform.

Employee lured via Telegram job offer

According to the complaint lodged at the Shamirpet police station, Karre Mounika, 25, of Aliyabad, Medchal, received a message on September 1, 2025 from a Telegram user identified as @indira7835. The sender claimed to represent a company called Coin LTC that offered part-time online tasks for payment.

The complainant was asked to contact another Telegram user, @karan14736, described as a “receptionist,” who guided her through tasks assigned in a private group. She was instructed to complete tasks, send screenshots, and share her bank details for payment. Initially, she was credited with small amounts to gain confidence.

Victim lost over ₹1.7 lakh in “prepaid task” scam

After receiving a few successful payments, Mounika was told to make prepaid deposits to continue higher-value “tasks.” She transferred several amounts ranging from ₹600 to ₹13,000 to bank accounts and UPI IDs provided by the fraudsters.

As her “level” increased, the fraudsters displayed inflated balances on a fake trading app and demanded larger payments for “correction” and “withdrawal” fees. In total, she transferred ₹1,82,600, of which only ₹7,635 was refunded. When she refused to pay another ₹1 lakh demanded for withdrawal, the scammers blocked her.

Mounika later realised that the trading platform — https://torenva.top — was fraudulent. She requested police action against the owners of the website, Telegram IDs @goud2323, @indira7835, and @karan14736, and the associated bank account holders.

Case registered; investigation under way

Police said a case has been registered and that efforts are on to trace the suspects and recover the lost amount. Cybercrime officials have warned the public to stay cautious about online “task” scams that promise easy income through Telegram and WhatsApp groups.

CYBER CRIME AWARENESS, PREVENTION HELPLINES

National Cybercrime Reporting Portal: 1930
Website: www.cybercrime.gov.in
TG Cyber Security Bureau: 8712672222