Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A 35-year-old homemaker from Indore lost her life savings — ₹24.16 lakh — in an elaborate online scam that promised her a part-time job but left her financially devastated. The woman, Hemlata Chaurasia, a resident of Kanak Smart City, was lured through social media with the offer of “task-based online income.”
It all began on October 15, when Hemlata received a seemingly innocent phone call from an unknown number. The caller claimed to offer her a part-time opportunity to earn money from home. She was soon added to a group on a social messaging app and given a job link. The platform looked professional, complete with login credentials, task instructions, and customer support.
To start, she was asked to invest ₹10,000. Soon after, she received ₹14,000 as a “reward.” Her confidence grew. She continued — depositing ₹32,000 and receiving ₹38,000. A ₹35,000 investment earned her ₹40,000.
But behind the screen was a gang of seasoned cyber fraudsters. Over the next 17 days, Hemlata transferred money from her credit cards and even borrowed from her brother — convinced she was earning big. The scamsters vanished after pocketing ₹24.16 lakh.
When she and her brother demanded the return, the group vanished — calls blocked, chats deleted. A case has been registered under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and further investigation is underway.
