50-year old Pune man loses Rs 24 lakh to cyber fraud under pretext of securing job
In a recent incident, a Pune man fell victim to a case of cyber fraud. He was duped of Rs 24 lakh under the pretext of getting a job.
Pune: India continues to deal with a serious problem of increasing cases of people falling victim to online scams. Every day, we come across new cases where individuals are tricked into losing money through various online schemes. In a recent incident, a 50 year old man from Pune, who had been working for an engineering firm for 20 years, became a victim of cyber fraud.
He was looking for a new job and applied to several opening on job-listing websites. In March 2023, he received a call from someone claiming to be a recruitment facilitator executive. He informed that the Pune man was shortlisted for a senior position at a global carmaker’s India unit.
To proceed with the job application, the man was asked to pay Rs 1,600 for registration on a portal. He also had to undergo a telephonic interview. Post which, he received an email congratulating him on his selection. The scammers then asked for money stating multiple reasons. Some of the reasons included getting the company uniform, a full-body check-up, and even a salary advance. This totalled up to Rs 2.4 lakh.
Over the next five months, the scammers kept stating reasons to ask for more money. The man, hoping for a high paying job, ended up paying around Rs 24 lakh in over 40 transactions. It was only after this loss that he realized he had been duped and reported to the cybercrime police.
It is likely that the scammers created a fake email, phone number, and a website to pose as representatives from the global car maker. They took advantage of the man’s desperation for a job, leading him into the scam. Further details into the matter are awaited.
Ms Kalinga