KOCHI: A new form of cheating has surfaced online in which fraudsters send scratch-and-win cards promising cash rewards following purchases. An Aluva resident lost around Rs 80 lakh after he received a scratch-and-win card for a reward of Rs 25 lakh from a fraudulent firm, the police said.
The Ernakulam Rural cyber police have launched an investigation based on the youth’s complaint. “After scratching the couriered card, he found that he has won a reward of Rs 25 lakh. He soon contacted the number given on the scratch card and said he had won the prize. The person whom he contacted told him to pay Rs 2,000 as service charge.
“The youth continued to pay amounts to the fraudster to get the reward. In a few months’ time, he ended up paying Rs 80 lakh in total before realising the fraud. The victim was convinced to pay the huge amount with the promise that it would be repaid along with the cash reward. We suspect a north Indian racket is behind the incident. An investigation is on to trace the calls the victim received and the bank accounts to which the amount was transferred,” a police officer said.
Ernakulam Rural SP K Karthick said people should be cautious against such fraud, especially those promising rewards. The cyber police station is receiving a large number of cheating complaints, he said.
“Incidents of creating fake Facebook accounts and seeking money from friends are frequently reported at the cyber police station.
Facebook users should lock their accounts to prevent fraudsters from misusing photographs and other information. Another fraud is obtaining OTP after sending a fake message or making a call saying that bank account or debit card is locked. Similarly, fraudsters also attempt to get OTP after giving a call promising to increase the credit limit of credit cards. Even highly educated persons are becoming victims of such frauds,” he said.