Team Herald
PANJIM: A victim (name withheld) lost Rs 7 lakh over six days in a well-orchestrated scam that was executed on messenger applications. The scam, orchestrated through WhatsApp and Telegram groups, used a manipulative combination of trust-building tactics, ‘tasks’, and escalating payments to lure the victim into a web of deceit.
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The scam began in October 2024, when the victim was added to a seemingly harmless WhatsApp group. The initial tasks were simple: follow a couple of WhatsApp channels and share screenshots with a ‘Receptionist’ named Chaya. For completing these tasks, the victim was instantly credited Rs 150 via UPI, building a false sense of legitimacy. The victim was then moved to a Telegram group for more “lucrative financial opportunities,” where each completed task promised monetary rewards.
Soon, the victim was introduced to a so-called ‘bounty task’, requiring an upfront deposit to unlock higher rewards. For example, deposit Rs 2,000 and get Rs 2,800 (New Member Benefit), deposit Rs 5,000 and get Rs 6,500+ and deposit Rs 9,000 and avail Rs 11,700+.
Lured by the promise of guaranteed returns, the victim deposited Rs 2,000 and was guided through an elaborate series of steps by a ‘Teacher’ named Varun. The virtual account on a fake trading platform reflected a balance of Rs 3,000, further cementing the scam’s credibility. Following a withdrawal code shared by the ‘Receptionist’, Rs 2,800 was credited to the victim’s bank account which proved to be a small bait to reel in a bigger catch.
After this, the victim was offered a new set of ‘welfare tasks’, now requiring higher deposits, with the lowest being Rs 5,000. Believing in the scheme, the victim deposited Rs 5,000 and was led through another series of tasks by a second ‘Teacher’ named Abhishek. The demands escalated exponentially. For task 1, Rs. 5,000 deposited, task 2, Rs 22,000 deposited and task 3 Rs 68,000 was deposited.
The victim was warned that failing to complete the tasks would result in the loss of previously deposited amounts, creating immense psychological pressure. After Task 3, the victim’s virtual account balance updated incorrectly, showing a zero balance for two members in the group, including the victim, while other two members claimed that they have got the benefit. Abhishek claimed a ‘data issue’ required a ‘repair task’, demanding another Rs 68,000. Terrified of losing everything, the victim
complied.
As the scam progressed, the victim was coerced into making additional payments to ‘unlock’ the virtual account balance, Rs 1.26 lakh for the second part of the ‘repair task’, and Rs 1,45,750 to ‘reach the withdrawal threshold’.
The virtual balance now reflected Rs 6 lakh. However, during the withdrawal process, the victim was informed that a ‘Merchant Protection Freeze’ required a further payment of Rs 2.35 lakh. After paying this amount, another obstacle appeared, a ‘tax’ of 25 per cent on the total amount, amounting to Rs 2,31,887.50. The victim’s request to deduct the tax at source was denied, citing ‘international financial requirements’. This demand finally broke the victim’s trust, and the victim realised they had been trapped in a well-orchestrated scam.
Frightened and devastated, the victim immediately lodged a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. The modus operandi, known as a ‘task-based fraud’, is a growing menace in the cybercrime landscape, preying on unsuspecting individuals with the lure of quick money, according to the police.
