💻 Karnataka Techie Loses ₹28 Lakh to Cyber Fraud — The Dark Side of Online Jobs

 

📌 Real Incident Breakdown

A 29-year-old software engineer from Karnataka fell victim to a fake online part-time job scam, losing a staggering ₹28.01 lakh. The scam started with a seemingly harmless offer to rate hotels and videos for money—small tasks, quick rewards. But soon, the victim was added to a Telegram group and drawn into more complex, high-stake "tasks" involving crypto payments and manipulated dashboards showing fake profits.

🧠 How the Scam Hooked a Tech Professional

1. Started Small: Initially offered ₹150–₹200 per task, creating trust.

2. Scaled Up Gradually: Later asked to “invest” to unlock bigger earnings.

3. Fake Profits: Showed manipulated dashboards with huge returns.

4. Emotional Manipulation: Urged the victim to complete “packages” or risk losing money.

5. Vanished: After all tasks were “done,” the scammers stopped responding.

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🔥 Why This Matters

Even software engineers—tech-savvy individuals—aren’t immune to psychological manipulation by cybercriminals. Fraudsters use emotional tactics, urgency, and fake success metrics to trap people.

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🛡️ How You Can Stay Safe

✅ Avoid job offers from Telegram or WhatsApp groups.
✅ Never pay to “unlock” earnings.
✅ If it feels too good to be true, it probably is.
✅ Verify websites and platforms—use tools like ScamAdviser.
✅ Report fraud quickly to cybercrime.gov.in.

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🚨 Conclusion

This case is a grim reminder that cybercrime is evolving—and no one is safe without awareness. Stay alert, educate others, and never fall for the promise of easy money online.

reff:- deccanherald

tags:- online job scam India

software engineer cyber fraud

Telegram task scam

how to avoid investment scams

cybercrime Karnataka 2025