Mumbai: Doctor Rates Fake Airbnb Properties; Loses Over ₹17 Lakhs In Cyber Fraud

The woman filed a complaint at the Kharghar police station.

by Shreya Ghosh
Mumbai: Doctor Rates Fake Airbnb Properties; Loses Over ₹17 Lakhs In Cyber Fraud

What a strange world we are living in now! Fraudsters are getting stronger than ever and trapping people every day with their gimmick ideas and executions. Just recently, a woman lost lakhs in cyber fraud. Residing in Navi Mumbai, the doctor fell into the gluttonous trap of earning extra and lost over ₹17 lakh. This is just one of the many examples of how scammers are frauding people impersonating someone else.

A Doctor In Mumbai Became A Victim Of Cyber Fraud

Doctor Cyber Fraud
Picture credit- Canva
Image for representation

We often come across posts and messages on social media about opportunities to earn extra money just by spending a couple of hours every day, and that too from the comfort of the home. Sounds too enticing, right? Well, chances are scammers have shared these and they are on the lookout for people to conduct frauds and take away a hefty amount of money. Hundreds and thousands of online users registered cases after getting duped by cheats online.

Recently, we heard an incident concerning a woman in Mumbai who fell in one of these work-from-home job traps and lost more than ₹17 lakh. She is a 40-year-old doctor affiliated with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, according to a report by India Today. Back in May, she received a Telegram message from someone named Sahara Kalyani. The text was a fake online job opportunity about reviewing Airbnb properties online. According to the job profile, she needed to share her positive reviews and earn money in return.

Thinking it to be a good source of extra income, the 40-year-old doctor accepted the offer and began working. She paid ₹11,000 to log on to the platform and began her supposedly online task. According to a report by The Indian Express, the first few phases of the payments and commissions from scammers were completed on time.

Also read: Blinkit User Complaints About Not Receiving Free Can Of Coke In The Delivery; Says, “Blinkit Is Doing Fraud”

She Lodged A Complaint

Doctor Cyber Fraud
Picture credit- Canva
Image for representation

A moment came when she already spent ₹17.27 lakh on this online job. Though her account displayed ₹37.48 lakh, she could not withdraw money. The victim was asked to pay a 30 per cent commission for this. Small episodes like these made the 40-year-old doctor realise that she had become a victim of cyber fraud. Soon, she rushed to Kharghar police station to file a complaint.

Also read: Cyber Fraud Alert! Mumbai Man Loses ₹1 Lakh While Seeking FASTag Refund 

Unfortunately, online scams like these are surging scarily. It is our responsibility to be extremely aware of these fake social media posts and also teach our parents and elders to remain vigilant in such cases.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva

Image for representation

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