Hyderabad woman loses Rs. 4.4L after scammers lure her with fake 5-star rating job

Hyderabad: A 40-year-old homemaker from Hyderabad fell victim to a cyber fraud after receiving a WhatsApp message promoting a fake trade marketing investment scheme. She lost Rs. 4,49,740 (Four Lakh Forty-Nine Thousand Seven Hundred Forty) after being lured by what appeared to be a legitimate opportunity to earn money by rating and sharing photos and videos.

The scam began when the victim received a message from the fraudsters claiming that the job involved promoting content by liking, rating, and sharing it. After completing her first task, the victim was paid ₹120, which led her to believe the scheme was genuine. On completing a second task, she was paid ₹300. Encouraged by the payments, the victim became more involved and inquired about starting the work.

The scammers then sent her a link via WhatsApp to create an account on a platform. Upon joining, the victim was asked to pay ₹1,000, with the assurance of receiving ₹1,300 in return. The promised refund was made, further convincing the victim of the scheme's legitimacy.
As time passed, the scammers continued to instruct the victim to pay more money for additional tasks, promising significant returns.

However, after a total payment of ₹4,49,740, the scammers stopped returning any money. Despite repeated assurances that her investment would be refunded along with profits, the scammers continued to demand more money, which the victim did not receive.
The victim has now filed a complaint with the Hyderabad cybercrime police, seeking necessary action against the scammers.

Public Advisory:

Authorities have issued a public advisory urging people to be cautious of online job scams, particularly those involving part-time work and investment offers such as "Work from Home," "Google capture & task rating," "Click & Rate and Earn," and similar schemes.

Scammers often approach victims through social media platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook, advertising fake investment apps or websites. These schemes are fraudulent and do not have the endorsement of legitimate financial authorities such as SEBI. Fraudsters often lure victims with promises of high returns, followed by fake profit screenshots.

They typically start by crediting a small amount into the victim’s account to gain their trust, before asking for larger amounts. Victims are advised to verify such offers properly and never share their financial or personal details.

Anyone who believes they have fallen victim to cybercrime is urged to immediately dial 1930 or visit cybercrime.gov.in. In case of an emergency involving cyber fraud, victims can also contact or WhatsApp at 8712665171.