Woman loses Rs 1.76 lakh in Instagram ‘work-from-home’ scam after paying Rs180

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

A young entrepreneur from Harsul lost Rs 1.76 lakh after falling for a fake work-from-home offer on Instagram that began with just a Rs 180 payment.

The woman entrepreneur Rupali Adhave who runs a business near Sutgirni Chowk, saw an Instagram Reel on October 24 promising Rs 5,000–Rs 8,000 a day for rating hotels online. When she clicked the link, it opened a hotel rating page, and fraudsters on WhatsApp guided her to rate it and share screenshots. After she received Rs 180 as “payment,” she believed the offer was genuine.

The trap tightens

Soon, a woman named Dharani Gokhale offered her more “tasks,” assuring double returns if she invested Rs 11,000. Trusting the scheme, she sent the money and continued interacting with the scammers on Telegram. Later, another fraudster named Anisha Tapa convinced her to transfer Rs 1.65 lakh, promising Rs 2.29 lakh in return. When the money never came and the scammers kept demanding more payments, she realized it was a con. The victim then approached Police Inspector Swati Kedar at Harsul Police Station, where a case was registered on Thursday. Police have launched an investigation into the cyber fraud.

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Work-from-home scams rampant on Instagram

City cyber officials have warned users to stay alert against fake “work-from-home” offers circulating on Instagram. Many fraudsters are promoting such schemes through paid advertisements and fake profiles to lure victims. Officials urged people to verify company profiles and avoid sharing personal or bank details without confirmation. “Most of these profiles are fake, and only a few are genuine,” said a cyber officer. “Always check the company’s authenticity before engaging in any conversation or making payments.”

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Common fake profile pitches on Instagram

Cyber officials have listed several common tricks used by fraudsters to lure victims with fake “easy-earning” offers. These include:

• Rating hotels or shops on Google Reviews

• Sending promotional messages to audiences

• Writing comments on social media posts

• Giving fake referrals under the promise of quick payments

Scammers often tempt users with lines like “Simple tasks, instant earnings” to gain their trust before demanding money for higher “returns.”