Hyderabad man duped of ₹10 lakh in an investment scam

A 26-year-old man from Hyderabad has lost over ₹10 lakh after falling prey to an elaborate online scam promising part-time job and lucrative investment opportunities.

“The fraud, orchestrated on WhatsApp and Telegram, lured the victim with promises of easy money and quick returns, ultimately robbing him of his savings under the guise of real estate promotions,” said an officer from the Hyderabad Cyber Crimes Police seeking anonymity.

“The victim received a WhatsApp message offering a part-time role claiming a pay of around ₹40,000 to ₹50,000 per month for just 2–3 hours of daily work. He was soon added to a Telegram group and guided to register on a fake website mimicking that of a legitimate firm,” said the officer.

Once registered, he was assigned tasks that involved promoting various fictional real estate plots with enticing titles such as Junior, Senior, Supreme, and Luxurious. “As bait, a ₹10,000 login bonus appeared on the app interface, boosting his confidence. After completing 20 such tasks, he was permitted to withdraw ₹500, with the rest held back as ‘investment capital’,” explained the officer.

The app kept reflecting rising balances, at one point showing ₹1.72 lakh. But when he was told to invest the entire amount for even greater profits, he finally grew suspicious. A closer look at the website and operations revealed the scheme was entirely fraudulent. In total, he was conned of ₹10,19,781.

Published - June 02, 2025 07:51 pm IST