scam alert
A new online scam is targeting job seekers, homemakers, and students using WhatsApp and Telegram to offer fake tasks to earn money that lead victims into debt and despair. These scams typically begin with a simple message to a Telegram or WhatsApp group. The offer sounds tempting, as it offers money for easy tasks like a five-star rating for some product or a place, or a simple translation, or a like on a YouTube video. But what seems like a harmless side gig can turn into a trap to lose money.
Sorathia, a 25-year-old private bank employee from Gujarat, was lured into one such Telegram group. She initially received small payments for completing minor tasks. After a while, she was convinced to invest larger amounts to unlock “higher-level” assignments. But the returns never came. Trapped under a hefty debt of Rs 28 lakh, Sorathia died by suicide. In her suicide note, she wrote that she couldn’t escape the trap.
These scams show fake earnings, use polished websites, and even conduct mock interviews. Once victims are financially invested, the scam escalates.
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Additionally, these scams also use referral programs, asking users to create a network or pyramid-like structure to carry out the scam. Some victims are even asked to share personal details, risking identity theft. Victims or those aware of such scams can report these incidents at cybercrime.gov.in.