Navi Mumbai: A 26-year-old commerce graduate from Taloja was cheated of Rs 39.89 lakh after unidentified miscreants lured her with promises of high returns for posting Google reviews. She was initially approached through WhatsApp groups on September 4 and later directed to download an application called ‘Mint’ for investments.
Gradual Escalation of Payments
Police said the fraudsters first offered Rs 50 per review for hotels and restaurants and transferred small sums to win her confidence. She was then gradually asked to make higher payments for “merchant tasks” and “VIP advance groups,” with promises of doubled or tripled returns through investments in a product named BTCUSDT.
Multiple Bank Transfers
The victim transferred money through multiple UPI IDs and bank accounts, including UCO Bank, Federal Bank, State Bank of India, Bandhan Bank, Yes Bank, HDFC Bank, and Axis Bank. Her total transfers amounted to Rs 39,89,963. Each time, the app displayed inflated balances, but withdrawal requests were declined with excuses like “low credit score,” “VIP upgrade,” or “income tax payment.”
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Police Investigation
“When she was finally asked to pay nearly Rs 18 lakh more as ‘income tax’ to release her funds, she realised she had been duped and approached the police. We have registered a cheating case and are tracing the culprits operating these WhatsApp and Telegram groups,” said a Taloja police officer.
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