Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SS)

Mangaluru, May 23: At least four cases of online frauds have been reported in the city in separate incidents.

In one incident, a man was cheated of Rs 22.11 lac by a person who promised the former to get him a job in Bengaluru. A complaint in this regard has been filed with Kavoor police station.

The complainant alias victim is currently working from home in the HR department of a Bengaluru-based company. He got introduced to Vinay Kumar alias Vinay Devaraj from Bengaluru on social media who promised to get the complainant a good job in a Bengaluru-based company.

The victim transferred in total Rs 22,11,477 in tranches to different bank accounts and when the accused asked for more than the victim asked for a refund. The victim was cheated as he did not get any refund.

In the second case, a person was cheated of Rs 1,89,996 on the pretext of a job promise as was claimed in an advertisement for an airline company. A complaint in this regard has been filed with CEN police.

The complainant on seeing a job ad messaged the advertiser and sent copies of Aadhaar card and driving licence to an unidentified person via WhatsApp. Later, the complainant paid a fee of Rs 1,420 to the unidentified person. Another person called the victim promising him that the latter would get his uniform and shoes at the victim's address while asking for an Aadhaar card and photos among other details. The person told the victim to remit Rs 3,648 as courier charges which was also duly paid by the victim. Then, the victim transferred in total a sum of Rs 1,89,996 in tranches between May 14 and 20. The persons did not get him the job as they continued to place their demand for more money to the victim.

In the third incident, a person believed a WhatsApp message that said he had not paid power bill arrears amounting to Rs 71,203 and got cheated. A complaint has been filed with CEN police in this regard.

The complainant got a WhatsApp message on April 21 stating that he has to pay the electricity bill failing which the lines would be disconnected. When the complainant called up the number an unidentified person picked up and asked the complainant to furnish details of customer ID. The person told the complainant that an SMS alert would be sent which should be forwarded to another number. When the victim did as was directed Rs 3 was deducted from his bank account. A sum of Rs 70,000 and another sum of Rs 1,200 was debited and transferred from the victim's bank account on April 24, it is learnt. The complainant has said in his plaint that a fake message was sent and that he was cheated of Rs 71,203 in phases.

In the fourth incident, a person was cheated of Rs 99,999 in the name of house rent. A complaint in this regard has been filed with CEN police.

The complainant had advertised on a website about a house available for rent. An unidentified person who saw the ad on May 21 claimed that he was an army serviceman and introduced himself to the complainant as also he was looking for a house to take on rent. He sent the owner complainant copies of the identity card through WhatsApp. The complainant believed the person and got engaged in the deal. The person said he would remit the advance amount from the army office which is when the complainant got another call from another unidentified person. He transferred a sum of Re 1 twice via UPI to the account as advance amount for the house. Instead of paying the advance amount to the complainant, the complainant himself lost Rs 50,000 and Rs 49,999 that got debited and transferred from his account.