Karnataka woman loses ₹20.62 lakh to work-from-home job scam via Instagram and Telegram

Summary

A woman from Mangaluru, Karnataka, lost over ₹20 lakh in a work-from-home job scam. The incident began on May 6 when she clicked on an Instagram advertisement offering part-time remote job opportunities. She was contacted via Telegram and asked to perform tasks like rating businesses and leaving comments, with promises of commission. Scammers provided a "salary code" and requested her bank details, followed by a small payout of ₹120 to build trust. Over time, she was connected to multiple individuals through Telegram, including "Meena Reddy," Rajesh Verma, Rohit Sharma, Lucky Singh, and Ravi Patel. Eventually, she was defrauded of ₹20.62 lakh through a series of transactions, and the accused have since stopped responding. A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station.