36-year-old ASHA worker defrauded of ₹4 lakh via lottery scam leading to staged kidnapping and emotional manipulation

Summary

An ASHA worker from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, was duped in a ₹4 lakh lottery scam that led to months of emotional manipulation and a staged kidnapping. Pushpalata Jharia, 36, was contacted in March by a caller using a foreign number via a VPN, who falsely claimed she had won a lottery and needed to pay a processing fee. Over the next one and a half months, she sent ₹4 lakh through loans from relatives and villagers, believing she would eventually receive a prize. On April 23, she went missing after visiting her maternal home, and a missing person’s report was filed on May 4. She was later found in Greater Noida after tracing a call from a stolen phone. Despite her rescue, Pushpalata still believes the fraudsters are “good people” and that her prize is real, requiring ongoing psychological support.