Vijayawada: A man allegedly lost Rs 58.67 lakh after cybercriminals lured him with Google rating assignments on Telegram before drawing him into a fraudulent online trading scheme. The victim initially received apparent returns on a small investment, which encouraged him to transfer larger sums over the next two months.
According to police, the fraudsters first offered payments for posting Google ratings and convinced the man to invest Rs 5,000. They subsequently displayed an apparent profit of Rs 2,000, creating the impression of a successful investment.
Believing the returns were genuine, the victim continued making payments. Investigators found that Rs 58.67 lakh was allegedly collected through three bank accounts and two credit cards.
Vijayawada cybercrime police registered an FIR on November 12 following a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Investigators are now tracing the financial transactions and attempting to identify those involved.
The case highlights how task-based scams exploit small initial rewards to build trust before demanding substantial investments. Fraudsters commonly approach victims through messaging platforms with offers involving online reviews, ratings and other simple digital assignments.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had earlier reported identifying more than 100 websites linked to similar task-based and investment frauds, which were subsequently blocked.
Police have urged people to remain cautious of online earning schemes that demand upfront payments or promise unusually high returns. Anyone facing financial cyber fraud should immediately contact helpline 1930 and report the incident at cybercrime.gov.in.
