Beware of new online job fraud, Maharashtra woman duped of Rs 5 lakh, know how

A woman from Maharashtra received a job opportunity through Instagram. Here’s what happened next made her lose more than Rs 5 lakh, deytails below.

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Thane: Nowadays, social media platforms are used for more than just exchanging photos and messages with friends and family. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even WhatsApp are now virtual hubs for connecting, a platform for marketing, reaching out to businesses, and even providing venues to find employment and connect with qualified candidates. However, as the digital environment expands, people become more vulnerable to cybercrime. A simple mistake can result in financial loss or identity theft. The fact that one cannot see who is on the other side of the screen adds to the fear. In a recent cyber fraud case, a woman from Mumbai was duped for Rs 5 lakh under the pretext of a job.

A woman was defrauded of Rs 5 lakh

A 26-year-old woman from Thane, Maharashtra, was cheated online. The fraudster stole Rs 5 lakh from her in the name of providing her with a job. According to PTI news, the woman was surfing through Instagram when she came across a job posting on a page. The woman found out by clicking on the employment post. This led her to the webpage. To get the job,s he was required to make an online payment.

The woman accepted the page as verified and proceeded to fill out the details. Sh e was then instructed to make the payment online. Surprisingly, she paid as well. She paid a total of Rs 5,38,173 in 6 days, according to the report.

Scammer fled with money

When the woman called the employer after paying money, she received no response.Sh e understoo that she had been duped when the phone did not ring. The woman then went to the Chitalsar police station and filed a cheating case. Police filed a complaint under IPC section 420 (cheating) and the relevant sections of the Information Technology Act. The police are looking for the offenders after registering the case.

Here’s how to beware of such online scams

- When you find a job posting on social media, go to the official website first. Check to see if the post is authentic. Scammers use clickbait titles on social media sites to entice consumers to give them money.

- Look up the firm name on the internet. Check to see if this company is present. If you receive contact, make a call as well.

- Examine the ads to ensure that there are no grammatical errors. Scammers are often uneducated and make faults in their English writing.