A 28-year-old woman from Khachrod in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district allegedly lost Rs 42,279 after being lured by a fake work-from-home tutoring job promising a monthly salary of Rs 30,000.
The woman, identified as Alefiya, came across an advertisement on Instagram promoting an online tutor position under the name “Byju’s Online Tutor Teacher”. Believing the offer to be genuine, she contacted the number provided in the advertisement.
The caller initially asked her to pay Rs 1,500 as a registration fee. She was subsequently sent an identity card and a QR code from another number, through which she made the payment on September 9.
After the registration, the fraudsters allegedly demanded additional payments, claiming they were required for a laptop and other equipment. The woman paid Rs 9,979 for this.
The accused then allegedly asked for another Rs 15,900 as a delivery charge, followed by Rs 14,900 in the name of obtaining a GST ID.
By the time the woman realised something was wrong, she had transferred a total of Rs 42,279.
The callers allegedly continued to contact her and demanded more money. However, neither the promised job nor any refund was provided.
The woman subsequently contacted the cybercrime helpline 1930 and approached Khachrod police. Police have registered a case against an unidentified person and begun investigating the mobile numbers and payment transactions linked to the alleged fraud.
The case highlights how scammers are using social media advertisements and fake recruitment offers to target job seekers with promises of easy work-from-home opportunities and attractive salaries.
