Hyderabad: A 54-year-old government employee from Hyderabad lost Rs 7.55 lakh to cyber crooks, who were posing as representatives of the Kerala state lottery. The scammers’ modus operandi was to lure gullible in the name of lottery, gifts and money.
According to police, the victim received a call from a man claiming to be from Kerala lottery firm and informed her that a lottery draw is scheduled for the day. The fraudsters played a trick on the victim, wherein there was not any proposal of payment but just an announcement of the lottery. The victim fell into the trap, believing the claim was real. She made an online payment through WhatsApp to purchase a lottery ticket. Later on the same day, the victim was informed that she had won Rs 5 lakh on ticket number KL324441.
To claim the offer, the fraudster sent her a fishy link and a forged letter demanding multiple payments under the guise of taxes and administrative charges. Believing the communication, the victim transferred money in a staggered manner to several bank accounts. By the time she realised, it turned out to be a scam, she had lost Rs 7,55,220.
Hence, police have issued an advisory warning citizens not to fall prey to such fraudulent schemes. People were cautioned against clicking on unknown links or interacting with strangers on WhatsApp and other social media, especially related to lotteries. Victims were told to call on 1930 or report online via www.cybercrime.gov.in. For assistance, the public can also call or WhatsApp on number 8712665171.
