39-year-old cheated of Rs 23 lakh in online task scam

THANE: A 39-year-old woman has fallen victim to an online task fraud, losing nearly Rs 23 lakh.
The Thane city police have registered a case against unidentified individuals and launched a probe into the scam.
According to the police, the complainant received a WhatsApp message last month from an unknown number, offering a lucrative opportunity to earn money through the online tasks.Trusting the offer, she agreed and was instructed to perform simple tasks such as liking videos online, for which she was promised payment.
A police officer further added that initially, the victim received small payments for these tasks, which led her to trust the scheme further. But then she was asked to invest money in another task that appeared to yield handsome returns. Despite seeing apparent profits on her investment, she was unable to withdraw any of the funds.
Realizing she had been duped, the victim reported the incident to the cyber police and subsequently filed a complaint with the Rabodi police station. The case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act.
The Thane city police have urged residents to remain vigilant against such online scams, advising them to verify the authenticity of any online job offers before committing to them.