Engineering Student Scammed in Cyber Fraud

A 20-year-old engineering student in Jammu and Kashmir fell victim to a cyber scam, losing Rs 4.30 lakh in a 'task fraud'. Lured by promises of earning up to Rs 8,000 daily through online reviews, he kept depositing money as 'security' until realizing the con and reporting it to the police.

An engineering student from Jammu and Kashmir found himself the victim of a cyber scam, losing Rs 4.30 lakh in a 'task fraud', the city police reported on Wednesday.

The student residing in a college hostel in Matunga received an unsolicited WhatsApp message. The sender, identifying as 'Pallavi Jha', claimed he could earn between Rs 2,000 and Rs 8,000 daily by posting online reviews. After joining a Telegram channel, he initially received payments for completed tasks.

However, as bigger tasks were proposed, he was asked to deposit money as 'security', eventually leading to a loss of Rs 4.30 lakh. Realizing the scam, the student lodged a complaint with Matunga Police, who have begun their investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)