THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state cyber investigation wing has identified around 60 fraudulent apps posing as platforms for purchasing online lotteries issued by the state government. These apps were detected during routine cyber patrolling and have been found to be defrauding gullible individuals.
In addition to the apps, the cyber sleuths flagged 25 Facebook profiles and 20 websites involved in the scam. They have requested search engines to remove these fraudulent sites and profiles from their platforms.
The investigation revealed that scammers promoted fake online lotteries through social media, claiming that tickets could be purchased for Rs 40, with a grand prize of Rs 12 crore.
Victims who believed these claims paid the advertised amount to provided bank accounts and received fake lottery tickets via WhatsApp.
The scam progresses when victims are informed that they have won a prize of Rs 5 lakh. The scammers use fake documents and videos to reinforce their deceit.
The police urge the public to be cautious of such scams and report any suspicious activity to the toll-free number 1930.