Ahmedabad: A 24-year-old Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) student from Parul University allegedly lost ₹9.66 lakh to cyber fraudsters who promised easy money through online product-ranking assignments on Amazon.
According to a complaint registered with Ahmedabad cybercrime police, the student, Dhruv Patel, a resident of Naroda, transferred a total of ₹9,66,302 in 25 transactions between October 9 and October 21.
The fraud reportedly began on October 8, when Patel was added to a WhatsApp group named ‘IYOM’ without his knowledge. Members offered payments for completing simple online tasks. Initially, he was asked to open an Amazon product link and share a screenshot, for which he received ₹160.
The initial payment encouraged him to participate in more assignments. He was subsequently directed to several Telegram groups where participants were offered prepaid tasks with promises of higher returns.
On October 9, Patel deposited ₹1,024 to undertake his first prepaid assignment. The fraudsters allegedly guided him to fake online portals and persuaded him to transfer increasing amounts of money. They also allowed him to withdraw ₹2,000, creating the impression that the scheme was legitimate.
However, when Patel attempted to withdraw a larger amount, the accused reportedly claimed that his account had been frozen. They then demanded additional payments to release the funds.
The fraud came to light when Patel was asked to pay another ₹52,000. Suspecting wrongdoing, he contacted the cybercrime helpline.
The case highlights how online task scams use small initial rewards and seemingly successful withdrawals to gain victims’ trust before demanding larger deposits. Fraudsters often block withdrawals or invent additional charges once substantial amounts have been transferred.
Cybercrime authorities advise people to remain cautious of online earning schemes that require advance payments. Victims of cyber financial fraud in India can report incidents through the national cybercrime helpline at 1930 or the official portal, cybercrime.gov.in.
