Hyderabad: Cybercriminals posing as representatives of Google’s so-called “Promotion Department” conned a private employee from Malkajgiri into paying ₹8 lakh, luring her with promises of a lucrative part-time job.
According to police, the victim first received a message on her Telegram account from someone identifying herself as Saritha. Claiming to be associated with Google’s Global Online Media Part-Time Jobs division, Saritha offered her work involving writing reviews for hotels and restaurants on Google Maps.
To get started, the fraudsters asked her to pay ₹1,040 as a registration fee. They promised her ₹50 for every task completed, with an initial set of 20 tasks and the possibility of even more assignments offering even higher payouts.
Encouraged by the growing balance she saw on her screen, the woman kept transferring money. But as she moved forward, the scammers shifted tactics, claiming she had failed to complete some tasks correctly. They told her that her earnings were locked and could only be released if she finished additional tasks each one requiring fresh payments.
In a series of manipulative moves, the fraudsters drained a total of ₹8 lakh from her. When they demanded even more money, the victim finally realised she had been trapped in an elaborate scam and approached the Rachakonda Cyber Crime police.