Online Scam: Pune Resident Falls Victim to Rs 16 Lakh Fraud on the Pretext of YouTube Channel Payments
Rahatani, 5th February 2024: A 35-year-old resident of Rahatani has been duped of a substantial sum amounting to ₹16 lakh 11 thousand 80. The fraudulent activity took place between October 29, 2023, and February 4, 2024. An FIR is registered in this regard by Wakad Police Station, Pimpri Chinchwad police.
The victim reported that he was approached through an unidentified WhatsApp number, where he received a message enticing him to subscribe and like a specified YouTube channel via a provided link. The lure was based on a false promise of financial rewards, with a payment scheme involving ₹150 for the first comment and ₹50 for each subsequent comment. The overall target set was 24 comments and likes per day, with the assurance of daily earnings ranging from ₹1,500 to ₹4,000.
As the interaction progressed, he was persuaded to join a Telegram group by the unidentified individual, later identified as Anjali Patel (full name and address not disclosed). Within the Telegram group, he was further enticed to make payments based on different targets set by the scammer.
The unsuspecting victim ultimately parted with a staggering sum of ₹16,11,080 as he fell prey to the fraudulent scheme. Following the incident, he promptly complained to the Wakad Police Station, leading to the registration of a case against the alleged scammer, Anjali Patel.
Wakad Police have initiated an investigation into the matter to trace the perpetrator and uncover the mechanisms of the fraudulent operation.
