Navi Mumbai: Pregnant Woman Loses Rs 54 Lakh In Online Scam While On Maternity Leave

In a distressing turn of events, a pregnant woman from Airoli, Navi Mumbai, found herself ensnared in an online scam, resulting in a staggering loss of Rs 54 lakh. The victim, who was on maternity leave, was lured into a work-from-home scheme promising high returns, ultimately falling prey to cyber fraudsters.

According to police sources, the 37-year-old victim was exploring opportunities to earn additional income online during her maternity leave. In her pursuit, she came across individuals offering freelance work involving rating companies and restaurants. Assured of substantial earnings upon completing a few initial tasks, she decided to proceed with the offer.

Initially, the woman was assigned simple tasks, such as rating hotels, under the guidance of the scammers. However, the situation took a dire turn when she was persuaded to invest money in anticipation of lucrative returns. Over a span of a few days in May 2024, she ended up transferring a total of Rs 54,30,000 across various accounts as instructed by the fraudsters.

Upon completing the assigned tasks and seeking her promised remuneration, the victim was met with unresponsiveness from the scammers, who subsequently ceased all communication. Realizing she had fallen victim to a scam, the distressed woman sought assistance from the Navi Mumbai cyber police, who promptly registered a case against four unidentified individuals on charges of cheating.

This unfortunate incident highlights the prevalence of online scams in India, where unsuspecting individuals are duped by enticing work-from-home opportunities. Typically, fraudsters initially offer simple tasks to gain the victim’s trust before luring them into investment schemes with false promises of substantial returns.

To safeguard against such scams, authorities advise exercising caution and following these preventive measures:

1. Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Offers: Beware of unsolicited calls, emails, or messages promising high returns for minimal effort. If an opportunity seems too good to be true, it likely is.

2. Research Before Investing: Avoid sending money upfront to secure work-from-home positions. Legitimate companies typically do not require upfront payments. Thoroughly research the company and job description before committing.

3. Verify Platform Legitimacy: If the job is advertised on an online platform, verify its legitimacy. Check user reviews and the online reputation of the platform before engaging with unknown individuals or companies.

4. Report Suspicious Activity: Report any work-from-home scams to the authorities immediately. Additionally, report suspicious offers to the platform where they were encountered to prevent others from falling victim to similar scams.

By exercising vigilance and awareness, individuals can protect themselves from falling prey to online scams and avoid financial distress.