Man loses Rs 1.29 crore in Telegram-based cryptocurrency task scam

Summary

A 38-year-old private employee in Hyderabad lost Rs 1.29 crore in a Telegram-based cryptocurrency job scam. On June 30, he received a message from someone claiming to be Avni Pandit, offering part-time tasks to boost Amazon web traffic. The victim joined a Telegram group where tasks were assigned, and payments were shown in cryptocurrency. Initially simple tasks soon required prepaid amounts to access higher-value assignments, leading the victim to transfer multiple sums, including Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh. After the fraudsters stopped responding when he refused to pay more, he realized he had been scammed and filed a police complaint. A case has been registered under several sections of the BNS and the IT Act.