A 32-year-old Dombivali resident lost Rs 6.9 lakh to a cyber fraudster while looking for part-time work. The complainant, according to the police, received the online part-time job offer on WhatsApp on November 29, 2022. According to the message, he would earn more than Rs. 18,000 per month.
When the complainant responded, a website link to www.bakelang.com was sent along with an activation code for him to register. He filled in the blanks and also set up a Telegram account for chats about part-time work. According to police, he then transferred a total of Rs 6,90,000 from his two bank accounts between November 29 and December 12, 2022. Meanwhile, the fraudster kept sending him different links on Telegram, such as www.neolr.com and www.jrlrbts.com, to register.
As he was repeatedly prompted to update his details on a new account, the complainant started to have doubts. He attempted to withdraw the funds he had transferred. However, he was unable to do so and was asked to pay Rs 2,17,500 in charges to withdraw the money. The man was convinced he had been duped at this time and approached the Turbhe MIDC police. An unidentified person has been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the IT Act.