- By Vikas Yadav
- Sat, 02 Sep 2023 08:22 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
'Like video and earn' scams are on the rise in India. We hear reports about people falling for such scams at regular intervals. In the latest update, two engineers in Pune lost a combined sum of over Rs 34 lakh to cyber criminals in the hope of easy returns in August.
According to a Times of India report, the job assigned by these fraudsters to the victims was to like videos and review hotels. The engineers were told to make accounts on communication app Telegram and complete these tasks.
While the techies received monetary returns initially, they were later advised to invest in prepaid assignments and earn handsome returns. The software engineers invested money and were promised withdrawal of the amount whenever they wished, according to the police.
However, the requests for withdrawal were not entertained by these scammers and they went on to demand more money to return the previous amounts. As per the report, the woman software engineer was scammed of Rs 16.5 lakh. The second person was duped of Rs 17.6 lakh, said Chhaya Borkar, SI of Hinjewadi police.
The same group duped both victims with a similar process. As a remedial measure, the banks have been asked to freeze the involved bank accounts. However, the authorities added that there is a possibility that scammers might have withdrawn the amount.
A reader must note similar instances of fraud have been reported in the past. Hence, here are a few tips you can take into account to keep your money safe.
- A user must exercise caution while interacting with strangers on instant messaging apps
- Never click on links shared by strangers that promise easy money
- Do not engage in financial transactions with people who promise monetary sums via video liking, rating hotels or other such activities
- Block and report such users via the established mechanisms of these apps
- Do not share personal details with strangers on messaging apps